IMPLEMENTATION OF STATE POLICY TOWARDS ROMA

IMPLEMENTATION OFSTATE POLICYTOWARDS ROMA

The Report is based on the �ndings of monitoring of the ful�llment of theAction Plan for the Implementation of the Strategy for the Protection andIntegration of the Roma Minority into Ukrainian Society until 2020

IMPLEMENTATION OF STATE POLICY TOWARDS ROMA

The Report is based on the findings of monitoring of the fulfillment of the Action Plan for the Implementation of the Strategy for the Protection and Integration of

the Roma Minority into Ukrainian Society until 2020

2015

Civic monitoring of the fulfillment of the Action Plan for the Implementation of the Strategy for the Protection and Integration of the Roma Minority into Ukrainian Society was conducted in six regions (administrative divisions) of Ukraine: Poltava, Cherkasy, Volyn, Zakarpattia, Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa. The following NGOs became were part of the coalition of NGOs that conducted this monitoring:

- NGO “The Human Rights Roma Centre: (Odesa, Head – Volodymyr Kondur) in cooperation with partner organizations;

- Pavlohrad City Charitable Foundation “Gorenie” (Pavlohrad, Dnipropetrovsk Region, Head – Denys Hrechko);

- Odesa region NGO “Romani Zbora” (Odesa, Head – Zhuzhuna Duduchava); - Cherkasy region NGO “Romani Rota” (Zolotonosha, Cherkasy obslast, Head – Volodymyr Bambula); - NGO “Mirgorodskii Roma” (Myrhorod, Poltava Region, Head – Mykola Cherniavskyi); - Charitable Foundation “Rozvytok” (Mukachevo, Zakarpatiia Region, Head – Natalia Kozyr);- Cultural Enlightment Roma Community of Svaliava District “Romani Yag” (Svaliava,

Zakarpattia region, Head – Matvii Balint);- Cultural Enlightment Roma Community of Perechyn District “Romani Yag” (Perechyn,

Zakarpattia region, Head – Ihnat Terpak);- Cultural Enlightment Roma Community “Romani Zor” (Mukacheve, Zakarpatiia region, Head –

Oleksandr Balog);- NGO “Terne Rom” (Lytsk, Volyn region, Head – Tetiana Lohvyniuk);- NGO “Romani Cherkhen” (Uzhhorod, Zakarpattia region, Head – Myroslav Horvat).

AUTHORS OF THE REPORT: Ayder Seitosmanov – analysis of monitoring data, general editing;Andrii Chernousov, Kharkiv Institute for Social Researches;Svitlana Shcherban, Kharkiv Institute for Social Researches;Serhii Ponomariov, Deputy Head of the Department of the Rights of a Child, Non-Discrimination and

Gender Equality of the Secretariat of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights.

COMPILERS: Olha Zhmurko, Oleksandr Shvaiun (International Renaissance Fund) Kieran O’Reilly (European Roma Rights Center)

The view expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the position of the International Renaissance Foundation.The European Roma Rights Centre organised a series of workshops in Ukraine to support local NGOs in their work on monitoring and advocacy of the National Strategy and Action Plan. However, the views expressed in this report do not necessarily represent the views of the European Roma Rights Centre.

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION FROM PARTNERS AND ORGANIZERS …………………....……………….. 5

І. SUMMARY OF THE REPORT …………………...….......……………………………………....... 9

II. SOCIAL SURVEY: SOCIO-ECONOMIC AND SOCIO-LEGAL ASPECTS OF ROMA COMMUNITIES OF UKRAINE ……………..……..........……………………………………....... 15

1. Methodology of monitoring ………..………….......……………………………………....... 152. Results of thea social survey ………………………………….…………………………....... 163. Main problems hindering the implementation of the Strategy ………………………. 30

III. EVALUATION OF IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ACTION PLAN OF THE STRATEGY …………………………………….......….........……………………………………....... 35

1. Institutional capacity of state authorities of Ukraine regarding the implementation of the Strategy …………………………………….......……………………………………..... 35

2. Involvement of NGOs in the implementation of the Strategy ………………………… 393. Methodology for evaluation of implementation of the Action Plan of the

Strategy …………..……………………………….......……………………………………....... 404. Assessment of Regional Action Plans and recommendations of NGOs ……………. 43

IV. GENERAL CONCSLUSIONS …………………….......……………………………………....... 61

V. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR STATE AUTHORITIES ………………..…………………....... 63

1. Building capacity of state authorities …………………………………………………....... 632. Ensuring legal protection ……………………………………...…………………………....... 633. Access to education ……………..…………….......……………………………………....... 654. Access to social services and employment ……………………………………............... 65

ANNEXES …………………………………….......……………………………………...................... 67

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INTRODUCTION FROM PARTNERS AND ORGANIZERS

UKRAINIAN PARLIAMENT COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS

Roma are one of the most disadvantaged population groups of population in Ukraine today – both on the ground of ethnicity and due to their social and financial status. Hence, within the framework of parliamentary control over the observance of human rights and freedoms I personally and the staff of the Secretariat of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights constantly pay particular attention to the problems that concern the majority of the Roma people of Ukraine and to the activities of the authorities and bodies of local self-government aimed at providing solutions to them.Apart from permanent monitoring visits to areas of compact settlement of Roma in various regions of Ukraine in 2012, and proceedings dealing with specific violations of the rights and freedoms of Roma, the Secretariat of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights also pays much attention to the analysis of the implementation of the Strategy for the Protection and Integration of the Roma Minority in Ukrainian Society until 2020 and the respective Action Plan adopted for the its implementation of it.In particular, in 2014 close cooperation of with the Roma Program Initiative of the International Renaissance Foundation, the European Roma Rights Centre, the Secretariat of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights and 11 Roma non-governmental human rights organizations in 2014 made it possible to carry out a comprehensive civic monitoring of the Action Plan for the implementation of the Strategy for the Protection and Integration of the Roma Minority in Ukrainian Society until 2020 in six regions of Ukraine that have the highest density of Roma people – Poltava, Cherkasy, Volyn, Zakarpattia, Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa.The work that was done within the framework of these projects and the respective reports are a valuable input in the development of a general system to monitor the status of Roma in Ukraine and the observation of their rights.Firstly, an unprecedented social survey (poll) was conducted. Its results partially compensate for a deficiency that had been committed byon the part of the government in theat early stages of the development of the Strategy and the Action Plan. First and foremost, it is an evaluation that aimsed to describe in quantitative terms the current social and economic situation in which Ukrainian Roma weare;, provide observations onf the civil, political, social, cultural and other rights of the representatives of this ethnic community;, as well asand to determine the needs that should be met first and foremost of all.Moreover, the findings of this social poll survey are extremely important for the evaluation of the efficiency of the Strategy for the Protection and Integration of the Roma Minority in Ukrainian Society as they allow determining establish a certain baseline for further analysis of developments and improvements in the conditions of Roma.

6 IMPLEMENTATION OF STATE POLICY TOWARDS ROMA

Secondly, while the governmental reports about the dynamics of implementation of the Strategy and Action Plan simply list and describe the measures undertaken by state authorities during a the reporting period, the these reports prepared during public monitoring is are basically of a summarizing and analytical nature. The aAnalytical results presented in thise report allow for notingone to note how effectively certain central and local authorities worked for when carryinging out their obligations on the implementation of the Strategy and Action Plan, on what measures these bodies focused the most, what areas were not covered, etc.Thirdly, monitoring is important because it allowsed not just determining the identification of urgent problems faced by Roma in Ukraine and providesing evaluation of the respective activities of state authorities and bodies of local self-government, but also because it proposed proposes detailed and targetted recommendations. I believe that the implementation of these recommendations will contribute to evident clear improvements of in state policy in the area of the protection of Roma and their integration into Ukrainian society.In general, I hope that the results of the monitoring and recommendations included in the report will collect receive due attention from every state authority that somehow deals somehow with the Action Plan for the implementation of the Strategy for the Protection and Integration of the Roma Minority in Ukrainian Society until 2020.

INTERNATIONAL RENNAISSANCE FOUNDATION

Roma national community remains one of the most discriminated and socially disadvantaged communities in Ukraine. This statement is proved by the findings of the a study onf the level of xenophobia: an the index of social distance as regards the Roma ethnic group in Ukrainian society is the highest among other national minorities – it is 5.7 pursuant to the Bogardus scale.1. Irrespective of the mode way of life (whether living in bigger larger groups, together or separately), Roma are the most vulnerable national minority when it comes to stigmatization. The following problems are traditionally faced by Roma: discriminatoryive treatment and biased attitudes of the society;, absence a lack of IDs; and that entails poorer access to education, healthcare, social services and employment. AlTtogether, such problems result in the social isolation of Roma national community and restrain restriction of their rights.

The state officially declared outlined its obligations with respect to Roma in 2013, through the adoption of the Strategy of Protection and Integration of the Roma National Minority in Ukrainian Society by 20202 and the approval of a the respective Action Plan on the implementation thereofof the Strategy.3.

At the same time, the efficiency of the implementation of thise mentioned Action Plan two years after it was adopted remains questionable. Such a situation is a resulted of both from the deficiencies of the plan itself, and from the absence of a reliable official statistics on Roma, a situation that makes it difficult for state authorities to duly identify problems and properly address them.

1 Interview with the Director-general of the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology V.I. Paniotto, Dzerkalo tyzhnia of 29 March 2013 // http://gazeta.dt.ua/socium/ksenofobiya-yak-pokaznik-neviglastva-roste-razom-iz-lyudinoyu-_.html2 Order of the President of Ukraine # 201.2-13.3 Order of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine # 701 on the Approval of the Action Plan for the Implementation of the Strategy for the Protection and Integration of the Roma Minority into Ukrainian Society until 2020.

http://gazeta.dt.ua/socium/ksenofobiya-yak-pokaznik-neviglastva-roste-razom-iz-lyudinoyu-_.html

http://gazeta.dt.ua/socium/ksenofobiya-yak-pokaznik-neviglastva-roste-razom-iz-lyudinoyu-_.html

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The Roma Pprogram Iinitiative of the International Renaissance Fund, which that has supported the Roma national community of Ukraine since 1998, has greatly facilitated considerably the development of NGOs and progressive leadership in Roma communities. The activists that represent and defend the interests of Roma in Ukraine provide legal advice on formalization of IDs, assist in the social and healthcare fields (projects supporting Roma medical health intermediariesmediators), and facilitate proper access to education (pre-school training of Roma children and awarding grants to study at uUniversities). At the same time, we are sure that all best practices launched by civil society in the field of social development can have a lasting effect only subject if to they areir systematically implementedation and supported by the state.

This monitoring aims to draw the attention of state authorities to the least protected and most discriminated groups of the society that include, inter alia, the Roma national minority. We hope that this project will result in systematic changes in state policy on national minorities, including better implementation of state obligations with respect to the Roma people in Ukraine.

EUROPEAN ROMA RIGHTS CENTRE4

The European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC) has worked in Ukraine since the organization was founded in 1996. During this time, the ERRC has highlighted issues such as hate speech and police violence, access to housing and education, and the lack of personal documents, among other issues. We have taken cases at both the national and international level, including representing victims of police violence at the European Court of Human Rights. As in many parts of Europe, in Ukraine getting Roma rights onto the political agenda has been a challenge.

Although census data puts the number of Roma in Ukraine at just 0.1%, estimates from the Council of Europe suggest that the number is much higher, and that Roma are one of Ukraine’s largest minority groups.5 As in other parts of Europe, Roma are marginalized and excluded from mainstream society, and as a result, suffer from higher levels of poverty, lower levels of employment, poorer health, and lower levels of education.

An Action Plan for the Implementation of the Strategy for the Protection and Integration of the Roma Minority into Ukrainian Society until 2020 was adopted in Ukraine in 2013. While this is a welcome step towards protecting the rights of Roma, much work is needed in order to ensure that the Action Plan becomes a robust policy document which can have a positive impact on the lives of Roma in Ukraine.

Over the last year the ERRC has worked in collaboration with International Renaissance Foundation Ukraine, and with civil society organizations across Ukraine that have monitored the implementation of the Action Plan for the Implementation of the Strategy for the Protection and Integration of the Roma Minority into Ukrainian Society until 2020. The monitoring plan was developed in conjunction with IRF and the ERRC, and implemented by the civil society organizations in the six regions of Ukraine where they are active - the 4 The European Roma Rights Centre organised a series of workshops in Ukraine to support local NGOs in their work on monitoring and advocacy of the National Strategy and Action Plan. However, the views expressed in this report do not necessarily represent the views of the European Roma Rights Centre.5 According to these estimates the figure could be as high as 400,000 and the average estimate is 260,000. See The Council of Europe, Estimates on Roma Population in European Countries, available at http://www.coe.int/en/web/portal/roma/.

http://www.coe.int/en/web/portal/roma/


fruits of their labor are contained in this report. The report outlines what action has been taken to date under the plan, as well as the situation of Roma in various parts of Ukraine, highlighting common problems that Roma face. The report assesses the strengths and weaknesses of the Action Plan, and provides practical and evidence-based recommendations for the improvement of the Plan.

The results of the monitoring are troubling, and show that Roma are often at a disadvantage compared to other Ukrainians. 31% of Romani children do not attend school, with the main obstacles being a lack of documents to enroll children, and the prohibitive cost of school materials and informal fees. Over 60% of Roma are not in work, and those with lower education are more likely to be unemployed. This exclusion from both employment and education creates a vicious circle, and condemns future generations of Roma in Ukraine to exclusion and marginalizationzed. Without positive measures and targeted policies to address these issues, the situation will not change.

The ERRC encourages relevant national authorities to engage with both national and international Roma civil society organizations to ensure that policies relating to Roma are developed in line with international best practice. The Council of Europe’s Strasbourg Declaration on Roma outlines that for any effective response to the situation of Roma a “genuine and effective participation of our fellow Europeans of Roma origin is a precondition for success”. The European Union’s 10 Common Basic Principles on Roma inclusion call for engagement with civil society, and in particular principle ten calls for the “active participation of the Roma”.

Now is the time for Ukrainian authorities to actively engage in improving the Action Plan, in consultation with Roma civil society, to ensure that the state’s policies can effectively address the exclusion and marginalization of Roma, and tackle anti-Roma discrimination.

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І. SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

FINDINGS OF THEA SOCIOLOGICAL SURVEY• The poll of the Roma population conducted in the course of the project has demonstrated that during

the last two years Roma have faced the following problems in the following areas most often: search of workjob-seeking (49% of answers), difficulties when formalizing one’s passport (34%), and difficulties in obtaining social benefits (33%). At the same time, every fourth respondent noted that he or she did not have any problems at all during this period (25%).

• Civil society and state authorities consider that Roma have many problems in the field of women’s rights: they these are hardly analyzed and or discussed and are only partially taken into account when planning state activities with Roma.

• The level of literacy of Roma is very low; an considerable impressive part of the population has no education at all (24%). The share of those who are obtaining or have obtained higher education is very meager low, at– just 1%.

• There is also a difficultThe situation regarding Roma and the state language is also difficult. Almost every fourthone in four representative of Roma nationality cannot read and write in Ukrainian (23% and 23% respectively). Every third Roma does it rather badly poorly (33% – read; 36% – write). 14% of respondents cannot speak Ukrainian or do it so rather badlypoorly, another 12% do not understand it or understand it very badlypoorly.

• As a wholeOverall, the fact that many Roma do not know Ukrainian, as well asand the general low level of illiteracy of the Roma population (they many cannot write and read) are considered by the representatives of state authorities as one of the main barriers to the integration of Roma into Ukrainian society. These problems make the formalization of documents and receipt of necessary information considerably more difficult and have a, negatively influence impact on the general life living conditions of Roma in Ukraine.

• As regards specific measures on the implementation of the educational strategy, the representatives of state authorities claim they organize seminars and meetings with headmasters of schools, colleges and , uUniversities that are aimed at building equal opportunities for Roma children to obtain education by Roma children. However, the main problem, in their opinion, is the unwillingness of Roma to enroll their children in schools.

• The study has shown that the majority of Roma currently experience financial difficulties nowadays. Every third representative of thea Roma national minority hardly makes ends meet, sometimes even lacking money even for food. Another 44% have money for food, but experience difficulties with buying clothes and shoes. Only 5% of Roma do not have financial difficulties.

• During At the time of the poll, the majority of Roma said they were notdid not workin employment at the time (63%). 22% of Roma work part-time and 15% of them work full-time. As regards working Roma, 57% of them are involved in tradinge or provision of services without formalization of a having registered their status of as a private entrepreneur. Every fourth representative of thea Roma


minority is involved in the same type of activities, but withhaving the status of a private entrepreneur (24%). Only 8% of those who participated in the poll work for a state institution, organization or enterprise; 6% are employed in a the non-state sector.

• According to the specialists of in employment centers, they do not track down the ethnicity of persons applying for their help. No separate statistics is are maintained. They help everybody both with the formalization of unemployment benefits and with the searching of a job. At the same time, they confess admit that they cannot influence the decisions of the employers and the latter often prefer to hire ethnic Ukrainians.

• The issue of passports and receipt of other important documents is one of the main tools of for the legal protection of Roma. Is should be noted that only 83% of those Roma who participated in the poll have passports or other IDs (17% of them do not have any). Residence of 67% of Roma is have their place of residence registered (consequently, 33% Roma have not their residence registered).

• The problem of formalization ofaccessing the documents, according to both the representatives of the society and of state authorities, is generated by a wider broader issue, namely by Roma’s an extremely low level of legal awarenessknowledge. Roma know neither what rights they have, nor how these rights should be protected and asserted by through legal means provided by the state.

• The results of the poll have shown that there are two main ways for Roma to address their problems: independent arrangements (individual problem-solving without external support)(66% of answers) or applications to an NGO for help (66%). Legal means are the least popular: an the option of judicial proceedings was chosen by 5% of Roma, and settlement involving state authorities was chosen by 4%. The Rrepresentatives of thea Roma national minority consider it best to do nothing intook no action in 14% of cases.

• As regards the attitude to the state institutions, schools Roma hadreceived the best most favorable attitude of Romatowards schools – they got the highest amount of positive answers (61% claimed they had air good or rather good attitude). Also, Roma have a good opinion about of the State Migration Service (39%), city and village councils (38%) and the Department of Social Support of the Population (35%). Roma are most negative with respect to police – 65% of them have a bad or rather bad attitude towards itthe police.

• The study aimed, inter alia, to learn whether the representatives of state authorities had addressedcontacted the Roma population on certain issues themselves. 79% of those who participated in the poll said they had not received such addresses contact overfor the last two years. When there were such addresses, they usually dealt with the issues of formalization of a passports, or registration of a place of residence (43% of answers); living conditions and conditions in which a child or /children was/were raised (25%); receipt of social benefits (19%) and legal aid (19%).

MAIN CONCLUSIONS BASED ON THE RESULTS OF THE MONITORING

• By adopting the Strategy, the Government of Ukraine recognized a problem and a need for the long-term influence of state and civil institutions on in settling the a whole range of issues connected with a the Roma national minority.

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• The content of the Strategy is general and declaratory. The Budget of Ukraine does not provide for specific financial support for implementation of the Action Plan, and funding on a regional level is imposed on local deficit-ridden budgets.

• The Strategy and Action Plan were elaborated without taking into account the recommendations prepared and submitted by the a coalition of Roma NGOs of Ukraine. The majority of provisions are focused on a the process and not on a results,; and there are no precise indicators for evaluating the efficiency of the implementation of the Strategy. The vast majority of regional action plans and strategies just simply copy the measures from the national plan and do not take into account local particularities and problems.

• There is no coordination of actions on the level of central state authorities, strict division of powers and or vertical and horizontal connections of state authorities on regional and local levels, and there are no tools of for effective monitoring of implementation. All of these above issues are the systematic problems hindering the effective implementation of the Strategy.

• There is no effective mechanism for a dialogue with representatives of the community. Representatives of Roma NGOs and local communities are poorly involved into a decision-making processes in the bodies of local self-government and state authorities.

• The following shortcomings do not allow hinder any to ensure technical succession offuture evaluation of quantitative and qualitative results of the implementation of the Action Plan of the Strategy:

- the baseline was not studied during the development of the Action Plan of the Strategy – there is are no baseline data;

- the Action Plan of the Strategy has neither indicators for evaluation of actions, nor does it state the sequence of stages of for the implementation of the objectives of the Action Plan;

- state institutions responsible for the implementation of the measures of the Strategy are not specified clearly.

• The majority of the representatives of state authorities and communitiesy named outlined the following main problems hindering the implementation of the Strategy,

- low awareness of among both state and civil representatives about the principal provisions of the adopted Strategy and Action Plan;

- a lack of necessary communication between all participants of on the implementation of the Strategy, and poor funding of the majority of initiatives listed in the Strategy – as a result, the majority of them of provisions exist are brought to life only on paper;

- many of the problems attributed to the Roma population are shared by the wholeall of Ukrainian society. It This means that comprehensive reforms and, thus, much large temporal and financial resources are needed to solve them;

- stateState authorities do not have enough information about the cultural particularities of the Roma population. Roma are, thus, perceived in a wrong wayincorrectly, which leads to further marginalization and stigmatization of this social group.


RECOMMENDATIONS:

TO THE CABINET OF MINISTERS OF UKRAINE:

• To Ddevelop an efficient state concept note of on ethnic and national policy, that which should become a priority task of the government in the field of regulationg of inter-ethnic relations;

• To Sstudy the feasibility of the accession of Ukraine to current international initiatives for the Roma national minority and ensure the implementation by Ukraine of international obligations within the scope of the recommendations of monitoring reports and fulfillment of national action plans;

• To Eensure the institutional capacity of state authorities to protect the rights and interests of the Roma community in Ukraine;

• To Ddesignate the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine as responsible for monitoring of the implementation of the Action Plan of the Strategy and provide the Ministry with respective related powers;

• To Iimmediately conduct a general population census in Ukraine in order to calculate the financial support of required for the socio-economic needs of the Roma community.

TO THE UKRAINIAN PARLIAMENT COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS:

• Together with NGOs, to develop an annual monitoring plan for on the observation of the rights of Roma and prevention of discrimination on the basis of ethnicity in across allthe regions of Ukraine;

• To Carry outintroduce annual monitoring for of observation respect forof the rights of Roma.

TO THE MINISTRY OF JUSTICE OF UKRAINE:

• To Ffacilitate the receipt of free legal aid by Roma;• To Ddevelop legal grounds for the realization of Roma to enjoy their right of Romas to self-

organization and to setting up self-government bodies as a pilot form of cooperation between state authorities and bodies of local self-government, with a view to addressing the objectives of the Strategy and reaching achieving its aims;

• To Iimprove mechanisms of responsibility accountability for the violations of legal rules granting the prohibition of racial and ethnic discrimination in the area of education.

TO THE MINISTRY OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS OF UKRAINE:

• To take effective measures with a view to preventing crimes committed on the grounds of intolerance and violent instances of discrimination of Roma in Ukrainian society;

• To Eenhance cooperation between the staff of law enforcement agencies with and Roma NGOs; to introduceproduce mechanisms of for professional development aimed at gaining in-depth understanding and respect for human rights;

• To Ccooperate with law enforcement agencies of other states with a view to using international best

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practice for prevention of crimes based on the grounds of intolerance towards Roma;• To Iintroduce a position of Inspector on of the work with Roma communities at in Regional and

district state administrations in the areas of with compact settlements of Roma.

TO THE STATE MIGRATION SERVICE OF UKRAINE:

• To Ffacilitate the receipt of IDs and personal documents by Roma;• To Ddevelop and introduce a simplified system of for the receipt of IDs by citizens of Ukraine.

TO THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF UKRAINE:

• Sstudy international experience on thef development and implementation of national programs for Roma in European countries within the“A Decade of Roma Inclusion”, 2005-2015, and the EU Framework EU Programme onfor National Roma Integration Strategies for Roma National Minorityby 2020, with a view to improving the N national Strategy and Action Plan.

TO THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION OF UKRAINE:

• To Ddevelop and implement a program of training/re-training professional lawyers who will provide legal advice and, barrister services to illiterate persons or those whose level of knowledge is very limited;

• To Eensure coordination of teachers of educational institutions, Roma NGOs and education school mediators with a view to involving Roma to in studies, and take measures to reduce the number of Roma pupils who do not graduate from secondary school;

• To Eencourage Roma youth to receive access vocational technical training and higher education by means of government-funded scholarships;

• To Eensure access to pre-school education, secondary education, and out-of-schoolextracurricular education to all Roma children in all relevant institutions irrespective of their forms of ownership, by means of funds from the state budget, local budgets and international and charitable organizations.

TO THE MINISTRY OF SOCIAL POLICY OF UKRAINE:

• To Eensure non-discriminatory attitudes to Roma that who are entitled to social benefits, prevent the instances of groundless or (unlawful) refusal to accrue (re-calculate)grant social benefits or unlawfully termination e the of payments thereof;

• To Cconduct awareness- raising campaigns on the provisions and rules of for applying to social protection authorities;

• Introduce a the position of a social worker who will work with Roma (social and medical health intermediarymediator) in the areas of with compact settlements of Roma and encourage Roma to take up these positions, given provideda respective professional training is providedgiven;

• To Ffacilitate the development of agricultural businesses of by Roma by means of preferential


provision of land, means of production, free financial and material aid, easy access to credits that are enough to gain earn a stable income and attainment ofreach a the level when one can provide for oneself.

TO THE BODIES OF LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT BODIES AND REGIONAL STATE AUTHORITIES

• To Oorganize awareness- raising events with a view to enhancing the awareness of Roma voters about their electoral rights;, provide Roma people with opportunitiesy to mtake up internships in state authorities and bodies of local self-government;

• Promote the efficient use of mechanisms of direct democracy by the representatives of Roma NGOs in the areas of with compact settlement of Roma, raising their knowledge about legal means of for protectingion of their interests in social, educational, housing and utility areas.

• To Ddevelop amendments to regional action plans pursuant to the Strategy, taking into account the recommendations of NGOs representing the interests of the Roma national community minority whichthat reflect the needs and particularities of communities and can be practically applied for in practice to overcomeing barriers which Roma experience as regards the access to social services;

• To cCreate conditions to overcome obstacles to hindering the participation of Roma in a decision-making processes; to Cconduct information and consultative campaigns to propose candidates to for membership of local councils, particularly in the areas withof local settlements of Roma; to raise knowledge of among Roma about their electoral rights, involving the experts of from academic and research institutions, Roma NGOs and leading think-tanks;

• To Iinclude a representative of a Roma NGO to on thea civic council of every authority. To Ddevelop amendments to the Strategy and Action Plan through participation in the work of a civic council, public hearings, and public expert assessments;

• To Eestablish a volunteer position of adviser to the head of a respectivethe local administration on Roma issues in the regions of Ukraine with thea highest number of Roma people (Zakarpattia, Odesa) (thisit should be a representative of local communities). To Sset up Roma civic councils in the areas withof compact settlements of Roma. Such councils should be headed by the adviser, pursuant to a the recommendations of Roma NGOs.

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II. SOCIAL SURVEY: SOCIO-ECONOMIC AND SOCIO-LEGAL ASPECTS OF ROMA COMMUNITIES

OF UKRAINE

1. METHODOLOGY OF MONITORINGThere are several methods to evaluate the implementation of the Action Plan of the Strategy:

PUBLIC OPINION POLLThe sSources of information are: the Roma population aged 16 years and above in Volyn, Dnipropetrovsk, Zakarpattia, Odesa, Poltava and Cherkasy regions. Quota samplinge was used (according to age and sex), 672 Roma representatives were polled by through face-to-face interviews.

FOCUS GROUP INTERVIEWSThe sSources of information are: leaders of Roma communities, and state officials working in the area of the protection of Roma rights in Ukraine. A number of available experts were interviewed and, 10 focus group interviews were conducted.

ASSESSMENT INDICATORS:• the main problems of the Roma population, their scale and particularities;• typical Roma means of settling their own problems, attitudes towards and trust to in state authorities;• government measures and programs aimed at the legal and social protection of Roma, and at raising

their level of education and employment;• awareness of among state officials about of the Action Plan for the Implementation of the Strategy

for the Protection and Integration of the Roma Minority into Ukrainian Society; specific events and their results;

• awareness of NGOs working with Roma about the Action Plan for the Implementation of the Strategy for the Protection and Integration of the Roma Minority into Ukrainian Society; specific events and their results;

• participation of Roma people in the events aimed at the implementation of the Strategy for the Protection and Integration of the Roma Minority into Ukrainian Society;

• the main problems and needs hindering the implementation of the Strategy.


2. RESULTS OF THEA SOCIAL SURVEY

2.1. Main problems that Roma are concerned concern Roma most with the most The findings of the survey have shown that during the past two years Roma faced the following problems most often: search of workfinding employment (49% of all answersrespondents), difficulties when formalizing one’s passport, registration of a place of residence, or receipt of other documents (34%) and difficulties in obtaining social benefits (33%). At the same time, every fourth person polled noted that he or she did not have any problems at all during this period (25%).

Figure 1. Main problems faced by Roma during the past two years (% of respondents)

2

6

11

13

17

24

25

33

34

49

Difficulties with the receipt of vocationalprofessional training/higher education facedby you/your child

Domestic violence

Difficulties with conducting businessactivities

Difficulties with the receipt of schooleducation faced by you/your child

Difficulties with the receipt of legal aid

Persecution, discrimination by police

No, I have not faced any difficulties

Difficulties with the receipt of social help

Difficulties with the receipt of a passport,registration of a place of residence, etc.

Search of a job

It should be noted that there are certain differences in the spread of problems among reported by Roma in across different regions. Thus, respondents from Volyn region faced problems connected with access to school education by for themselves or their child/children (17% of those polled) and with the receipt of social benefits (16%) more often than residents of other regions.

The Ppersecution and discrimination of Roma by police are is mostly typical common infor Cherkasy (30%) and Dnipropetrovsk (18%) regions. Roma of in Dnipropetrovsk region are more concerned with the difficulties connected with formalization registering and running entrepreneurship a business – every tenthone in ten of respondents singled out this issue.

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As regards the problems mentioned above as the most widespread among Roma in general, Roma of in Cherkasy region are the least concerned the least with the search of for a job and receipt of social benefits (10% and 3% respectively), and only 3% of Roma of in Poltava region experience difficulties with formalizatioing of the documents.

Roma from Poltava and Zakarpattia faced the fewest number of problems in general during the past two years – 35% and 27% respectively (please see Table 1).

Table 1. Breakdown of answers regarding main problems faced by Roma during the past two years in different regions (% of respondents)

Problems Zakarpattia Odesa Dnipropetrovsk Poltava Cherkasy Volyn

Difficulties with access to special or higher education for you or your child/children 0 1 3 1 0 1

Difficulties with formalization registering and running entrepreneurshipa business 1 3 10 4 5 3

Difficulties with access to school education for you or your child/children 1 4 5 3 6 17

Persecution, discrimination by police 2 5 18 1 30 7

Domestic violence 3 0 7 0 1 1

Difficulties with obtaining legal aid 6 3 12 1 2 16

Difficulties with formalization registering forof social benefits 13 25 14 18 4 19

Difficulties with formalization of a passport, residence registration of a place of residence, etc.

20 28 9 3 23 10

Search of jobFinding employment 27 28 19 34 10 24

Did not face any problems 27 3 3 35 19 2

2.2. Implementation of the Strategy: the scale of the problems and specific measures2.2.1. Enhancement of the level of education of the Roma national minorityThe pPromotion of education among the Roma population and ensuring their equal access to all levels of education – the one thatto the same extent as other citizens have – is one of the primary directions aims of the Strategy. Its most important objectives are as follows:

• awareness- raising activities among Roma regarding the importance for children to receive pre-school and, secondary school education, vocational technical training and higher education, carried out by NGOs, teaching staff of educational institutions, and officials of executive authorities;

• ensuring cooperation between teaching staff of educational institutions and civic unions of Roma;


implementation of measures aimed at reducing the number of Roma that drop out of secondary schools;

• delivering professional career guidance (activities that explain various professions) to encourage Roma to receive vocational technical training and higher education.

On the other hand, obtaining receiving an education remains one of the most urgent problems for Roma, and the level of their education is extremely low. According to the findings of the survey, it is most common that 37.2% of Roma do not finish their secondary school education(37.2%). At the same time, every fifth Roma person does not have any education at all (24%). The share of those who received higher education or are now studying in the uUniversity it is disproportionally small – at just 1% (Table 2).

Table 2. Roma according to their level of education and plans to continue education (% of respondents – multiple answers were possible, as vocational technical training can be taken along with other education options)

HIGHER EDUCATION DO YOU PLAN TO TAKE ANY OTHER DEGREE IN FUTURE?

I do not have education24 89

Did not think about it

Primary education (1–3 year)16 3

I plan to receive primary education

Incomplete secondary education37

2

I plan to receive complete secondary education

Secondary education16

Vocational technical training60 4

I plan to receive vocational technical training

Incomplete higher education / higher education / PhD 1 2

I plan to receive higher education

The situation with Roma and their knowledge of the state language is also difficult. Almost every fourth respondent cannot read or write in Ukrainian (23% and 23% respectively). Every third does it so rather badly poorly (33% for reading and 36% for writing). 14% respondents cannot speak Ukrainian or do it so rather badlypoorly, and another 12% do not understand Ukrainian or do it so rather badly poorly (Figure 2).

19

Figure 2. The level of knowing Ukrainian by Roma (% of respondents)

23 23 3 3

23 22 54 63

33 36 11 9

21 19 32 25

Well

Rather well

Rather badly

Cannot

Read Write Speak Understand

In general, state officials consider bad poor knowledge of Ukrainian and general the low level of illiteracy of Roma as one of the main barriers to the integration of Roma in Ukrainian society. Officials state that iIt also makes it considerably more difficult to formalize documents, receive provide necessary information and influence life the living conditions of Roma in Ukraine as a whole.

As regards education, even primary education, the majority of those we meet in the streets do not have basic literacy skills. How can he get a job, receive certificates when he even cannot even read what which documents he has to bring?

Quotation from a focus-group with state officials

When answering a the question “Do you plan to receive any additional degree in the future?”, the vast majority of respondents (89%) said they did not think about thatthis. Only 6% of Roma plan to receive that a level of education that which wouldwill make them professionals in a certain field in the future: 4% plan to get vocational technical training; and 2% plan to receive higher education.The Lleaders of Roma organizations believe that this problem is indeed very widespread. Many Roma can only get only non-professionallow-skilled jobs because of their low level of education. At the same time, they claim that the number of children willing to get vocational technical training or higher education has grown recently. First at and foremost, it this is a result of the educational programs of international funds and grants of from international organizations. We travel, conduct explanatory talks with parents, encourage children to enter educational institutions. Some of them agree. Some of them agree, but refuse later. You see, when all relatives of a person are illiterate – parents, grandmother, other relatives, – it is very hard to get out of this circle.

Quotation from a focus-group with the representatives of the community


Eevery third child of the Roma that took part in the poll does not attend school (31%); 59% of them go to school. Although only 15% of respondents answered that their kids children did not need education (responding to the question about the reasons for not attending schools). In fact, children usually do not attend schools because they lack necessary documents (49% of answers). Other problems are of a financial character: studying entails big large expenses (36%).Officially, primary and secondary education in Ukraine is free. However, many Roma cannot afford constant donations on for school repairs, paying payments for foreign language classes, for organization of holidays, textbooks, manuals for laboratory works, school equipment, etc. Apart from that, some schools require that children to wear school uniform, which is too expensive for some Roma. In 12% answers, of respondents indicate discrimination as a reason for not attending school (both from school staff and from pupils and their parents) (Figure 3).Figure 3. Reasons why Roma children do not go to schools (% of respondents)

49

8

36

15

4Rights of a child/children are infringed by otherpupils, their parents because the former Roma

Rights of a child/children are infringed byteachers, headmaster because the former are Roma

Child/children do not need to study

Study-related expenses are to highto afford

We have no documents to enroll a childin school

According to the representatives of communitiesy, this problem is more widespread in reality than Roma people talk about itadmit (they may under-report it). The discriminatory attitude itself is one of the reasons why children stop going to school, even before completing primary education.They send a child to a school, for instance he or she attends for a while, until being told called “gypsy, gypsy”. And then children start feeling insecure. And that is why they drop out of school, start living a more adult life, work at a bazaar, gather nuts in villages, etc.

Quotation from a focus-group with the representatives of community

A, as regards Roma that have secondary/incomplete higher or higher education, 94% of their children go to school. At the same time, as regards parents who have no education or have just primary education, only 50% of their children go to school (Figure 4).

21

Figure 4. School Attendance of school by children according to the level of education of their parents (% of respondents)

5083 93

5017 7

Children go to school Children do not go to school

Do not have education/haveprimary education

Have incomplete secondaryeducation/secodnary

education

Have undergone vocationaltechnical training/have

incomplete higher/highereducation

Attention should also be paid to the gender dimension of Roma’s problem access towith education. Wwomen are more often illiterate than men (45% vs 35%) – (it this encompasses includes both people who do not have any education at all or and those who have just primary education). Also, men have incomplete secondary or secondary education more often (59%) than women (49%) (Figure 5).

Figure 5. Breakdown of answers aboutT the level of education of Roma according to gender (% of respondents)

Have undergone vocational technical training/haveincomplete higher/higher educationHave incomplete secondary/secondary educationHave no education/have primary education

33

59

8

45

49

6

Males Females


As regards specific measures on the implementation of the Strategy in the area of education, state officials note that they carry out trainings and meetings with directors of schools, colleges, and uUniversities, that are aimed at creating equal opportunities for the education for Roma children. Iit was also numerously frequently noted that Roma children do not attend pre-school education institutions. That is why the level of the development education of a child when he or she comes to school is much lower in comparison to his or her classmates, which is the a reason for educational issues at school.

One should compare how many words a child who attended a kindergarten knows and how many words knows the child who did not knows. A kid who did not go to a kindergarden knows 300 words, basic ones. And a child who attended a kindergarten knows 4,500 words. Do you understand what it this means? It means that they turn a child into an the outsider – a child is unable to learn current curricula.

Quotation from a focus-group with state officials

According to the state officials, they dedicate a vast amount of their working time to holding explanatory talks with parents, telling them about the advantages of both pre-school and school education for a children.

2.2.2. Social protection and employment of Roma

A whole range of financial and day-to day problems, low involvement into state programs and discrimination make Roma one of the most socially disadvantaged groups of in Ukraineian people. The Action Plan of the Strategy envisages the following measures aimed at the social protection and employment of the Roma minority:

• implementation of social policy aimed at insuring social protection of Roma, including families with children, orphans, children deprived of parental care, children in difficult life living conditions, as well as facilitating assisting Roma with their search of work;

• regular awareness- raising activities among Roma to prevent violence and violent treatment in families and the worst forms of child labor;

• implementation of measures that prevent discrimination of Roma when looking for a job; ensuringe cooperation between social workers and Roma NGOs working in the area of employment.

The survey has shown that the majority of Roma experience considerable financial difficulties; some of them are live below a the poverty level and have to look for money every day to meet their basic needs. According to the poll, every third representative of Romarespondent barely hardly makes ends meet, and sometimes lacksing money even for food. Another 44% have money for food, but experience difficulties with buying clothes and shoes. Only 5% of Roma do not have financial difficulties (Figure 6).

Figure 6. How Roma evaluate the financial capacity of their family (% of respondents)

23

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Another illustrative indicator of the poor a bad social condition of Roma is that every fourth Roma receives financial support from the government. These are most often the payments connected with children (financial support due connected to pregnancy and labor, when after a child is born, for taking care of a child until the age of 3 years old, help to for families with many children, and for single mothers) and with low income., Mmore rarely these are subsidies and payments connected with disability and retirement.In response to the poll, the majority of Roma said they did not work (63% of respondents). 22% of them work part-time and 15% work full-time (Figure 7).

Figure 7. Employment of Roma (% of respondents)

15%

23%63%

Work full-time (8 hours per day)

Work part-time (less than 8 hours per day)

Do not work


Even though there is a widespread stereotype in the society that working Roma are predominantly illiterate and, thus, are usually employed in non-qualifiedin low-skilled works (sorting rubbish, search ofcollecting scrap metal, etc.) or are making money through some criminal dealings (trafficking in drugs, thefts, etc.), the survey proves the contrary and demonstrates a direct connection between employment and thea level of education of Roma.

In particular, 10% of those who have no education at all or have just primary education work full-time. At the same time,F five times more Roma who received vocational technical training or have higher education work full-time – 54% (Figure 8).

Figure 8. Roma employment according to the level of education (% of respondents)

72

1810

60

2713

3313

54

Do not work

Work part-time

Work full-time

Have no education/primary education

Have undergone vocationaltechnical training/have

incomplete higher or highereducation

Have incompletesecondary/secondary

education

As regards working Roma, 57% of them are involved in trade or provision of services without formalization ofregistration with the a status of private entrepreneur. Every fourth representative of Roma respondent is involved in the same activities, but however, is registered as a private entrepreneur (24%). Only 8% of respondents work for a state-run institution, organization or enterprise; 6% are employed in a the non-state sector (Figure 9).

Figure 9. Answers regardingT the main workplace of Roma (% of respondents)

25

57

6

24

8

5Other

Non-state institution, organization,enterprise

State institution, organization, enterprise

Private entrepreneur

Involved in trade or provide serviceswithout a status of a private entrepreneur

The majority of Roma found jobs themselves (52%), while another 41% found it work through friends and relatives. Other means of search findingof a job are usually not popular within among the Roma population: 5% of them found jobs though civic employment organizations, 1% of them used employment centers and, 1% received help from state authorities.According to the staff of employment centers, they do not track down the ethnicity of persons applying for their help. No separate statistics is are maintained. They help everybody both with the formalization registering forof unemployment benefits and with the searching for of a job. At the same time, they confess admit that they cannot influence the decisions of the employers and the latter often prefer to hire ethnic Ukrainians (that is, non-Roma).

Employers take a the lead, they are decision makers. He One opens a vacancy, we look for possible candidates and he chooses between them. Due to a the situation with IDPs, there are many candidates to for one vacancy, so one has a range of choices. And it is an the employer who makes a decision. What can we do?What can one say about employment? Employment centers organize round tables with Roma leaders each year. Well, they met each other, had a talk, however, with hardly any results. What can Roma with secondary or vocational professional training count on when we are reached contacted by a private company? Discrimination follows immediately, they are not employed only simply because they are Roma. What they can count on is cleaning a the city, public housing and utilities workunits, and other private companies working on processing or collection of rubbish. Dirty work.

Quotations from a focus-group with state officials

It is important to note that many state officials made openly discriminatory statements with respect to Roma and other ethnicities when considering the problems of their employment.Have you ever seen a Jew working with a lathe heavy machinery for eight hours a day? And, pardon me, have you ever seen a working gypsy? I believe one should take into account the mentality of a people and


propose a job that fits the mentality of such people.Getting a job. There are many instances, when employment centres and employers waste much time and effort. And then it comes turns out that this person is a representative of the Roma community and he has no motivation, no internal motivation to work. They are more used to the works that does not require fixed schedules, when there is no need to get up early, when it is possible to go somewhere during a the day and make some money. It is enough for them. It turns out they are do not aimed for at lasting relations with an employer.Roma are a particular category of people, the majority of them lead a dubious mode of life. Because Wwe all know well: fraud, thefts, etc. And how is one is supposed to employ them after that?

Quotations from a focus-group with state officials

As regards the representatives of NGOs and leaders of Roma communities, they often take the rolefunctions of state authorities in this issue and negotiate the employment of Roma in both state-run and private institutions.I was addressed by many Roma – Roma women. Female gypsy. They wanted to get a job. Ok, ladies, I will help you, are you willing to work? Yes, we are. I talked to one company and, believe me it or not, we got a jobs for 20 women! And it is a great pleasure that the girls are still working there.


2.2.3. Legal protection of Roma and cooperation with state authoritiesThe Strategy envisages a number of objectives aimeding at enhancing the legal protection of Roma people, inter alia:

• inviting, pursuant to an established procedure, representatives of Roma NGOs to participate in settling social problems, in particular, to development and discussion of respective draft acts and decisions that influence the condition of the Roma national minority;

• raising the legal awareness of Roma; taking measures to prevent discrimination of against Roma;• as regards those Roma who stay are present on the territory of Ukraine illegally, facilitation

facilitatingin their receipt of their IDs and documents certifying citizenship, and marriage certificates;• development of cooperation with international organizations on the protection of Roma; promoting

tolerantble attitudes to Roma in the society.Hence, one of the main directions aims of legal aid to Roma is the help assistance in getting IDs, documents certifying citizenship and marriage certificates. It should be noted that only 83% of Roma who took part in thea survey have passports or other IDs (17% do not have such documents). The place of residence of 67% respondents is formalized registered (for 33%, it is not). At the same time, according to human rights activists, the situation with regarding the receipt of passports by Roma has somewhat improved somewhat recently. First of all, it this is due to the efficient work of NGOs and legal aid offices, as well as withthe a fact that they established cooperation with the departments of State Migration Service in regions. State officials

27

believe that the most urgent problem nowadays is the receipt of other documents – birth certificates that are necessary for formalizing receiving the documents for state social benefits, documents certifying ownership of real estate, privatization of land, etc.

Now there are almost no people that have nothing, even a birth certificate. But when it comes to real estate documents! They are the most problematic. Roma do not know what documents must be formalized and that is why they cannot have electricity networksconnections, one may not install electrical equipment. As regards the passports, there might be serious problems in some cities, but the majority has already got their passports.


The problem of formalization receipt of documents, according to both representatives of the community and state authorities, is generated by a wider issue – an extremely low level of legal awareness knowledge amongof Roma. Roma do not know their rights, do not know how to protect them and or what legal instruments to use to defend them. The findings of the survey have shown that Roma usually resort to two ways to settle their problems, a. And both of them are popular with Roma people. Thesey are: personal agreements (66% of answers) or appeals to a NGO (66%).So, the Roma community usually strives to settle its problems by itself, by counting on oneself and/or representatives of their community working in Roma human right NGOs. There is another means of settling problems, which is less popular, however, but still widespread – illegal meanscriminal (bribes and threats). 23% of respondents named itthis option. 18% resort to the help of a barristerlawyer. The choice of legal means of protection is rare: court proceedings – account for 5% of answers, settlement in state authorities – 4%. 14% of respondents are unwillingtook no to do anything at all action (Figure 10).

Figure 10. The most popular means of settling the problems among Roma relatives and friends (% of respondents)

66

18

66

23

14

5

4Settled with the help of stateinstitutions

Defended their rights in courts

Did nothing

Settled with the help of abarrister

Decided in a criminal way(bribes, threats)

Addressed NGOs

Settled themselves


The main reason for Roma disregard of state means of dispute settlement is the predominantly negative attitude of Roma people to state authorities and institutions, even though it varies according to thea department or service unit. Thus, the participants of the poll were asked: “Please describe your general attitude so to such these authorities/institutions?”. The variants of answers were provided in thea form of a scale with 1 being “badly” and 4 being “wellgood”.As regards the proposed variant of state institutions, Roma treat view schools best – schools received the highest number of positive answers (31% – wellgood, 30% – rather good) and the least lowest number of those polled evaded answering questions about school (12%) (Figure 11).Roma also treat viewwell the State Migration Service well (10% – well and 29% – rather good than bad), city council/village council (8% – well and 30% – rather good), Ddepartment of Ssocial Pprotection of the population (10% – well and 25% – rather good), even although as regards these authorities, the percentage of those evading answers is considerably higher.Roma treat view police the worst – 65% of them treat view the policeit badly or rather badly. It should also be noted that the attitude to this state authority is, as in the case of schools, most unanimous. Only 13% of respondents had doubts about an their answer.

Figure 11. Attitude of Roma to different state authorities/institutions (% of respondents)

31 30 1017 12

10 29 1714 30

10 25 1618 31

9 20 2016 35

9 14 1617 44

8 30 1615 31

7 24 1414 41

6 24 1412 44

5 17 3431 13Police

Education Department

Child service

City/village council

Department of Youth, Familyand Sport

Job center

Department of Social Protectionof the Population

Department of State MigrationService

School

Well Rather well than bad

Rather bad than well Bad

Hard to answer

29

At the same time, when assessing Roma the attitude of Roma to the mentioned institutions, almost every

third respondent said he or she found it “difficult to answer”; it this happened most often with respect

to questions about an the education department (44%) and child service unit (41%) and it influences the

general evaluation of the attitude to state structures. First and foremost, it is explained by poor knowledge

about of the activities of these state authorities and possibilities to work with them.

40% of Roma addressed state authorities to settle their problems, 60% failed to do so. When explaining the

reasons of for that, 50% of respondents said that they believed it would not help and 42% dido not know

where to apply for help and how to do it. It was also mentioned that it would take too long (15%); 13% of

the respondents are afraid to address state authorities; 9% did not see the need to do so as they resolved a the

problem in another way; 6% believe that such appeals will would cost cause them too many much nerves

stress (Table 3).

Table 3. Answers of Roma to thea question “Why did not you go to state authorities to settle your problems?”

Reasons % of answers

It would not help 48

Did not know where and how to apply 43

It would take too much time 14

I was afraid to apply to state authorities 13

There was no need, I settled it in another way 9

It would take to many nerves of mine 6

Total 133

The attitude to state authorities is really connected with a general level of trust into them. Indeed, 59% of

respondents fully or partially distrust state authorities. Only 2% of Roma trust them fully and 27% rather

trust them to some degree (Figure 12).

Figure 12. General level of trust of Roma to state authorities (% of respondents)


21%

12%

2%

38%

27%

Trust copmpletely

Rather trust than do not trust

Rather do not trust than trust

Do not trust completely

Hard to answer

According to human rights activists, Roma themselves have a certain stereotypical vision about of state officials. They do not trust them, are afraid of them or consider them to be incapable, as they do not have practical experience of working with Roma. The study aimed, inter alia, to determine whether state officials reached out to Roma themselves regarding certain issues.79% of respondent said there had not been such communications in the recent past two years. When they did take place, they usually concerned the issues of formalization of a passports, registration of a place of residence (43% of answers); living conditions and conditions of for raising a child/children (25%); and receipt of social (19%) and legal (19%) aid (Table 4).

Table 4. Answers of Roma to thea question “Did the representatives of state authorities reach out to you during past two years and, if yes, on what issues?”

Reasons for reaching out % of answers

Yes, they explained and helped to formalize a passport, register a place of residence 43

Yes, they wanted to know about our living conditions and conditions in which we raise our child/children 25

Yes, they explained, helped with the receipt of legal aid 19

Yes, they explained our rights, helped with the receipt of legal aid 19

Yes, they explained, helped with employment 17

Yes, they explained, helped you or your child/children receive school education 13

Other 7

Yes, they explained, helped with the issues of entrepreneurship 5

31

Yes, they explained, helped with domestic violence issues 1

Yes, they explained, helped you or your child/children receive vocational technical training or higher education 1

Total 150

Respectively, as regards those who reached out to Roma the most the figures are as followst: representatives of the Ddepartments of Ssocial Pprotection of the population (38% of answers); departments of the State Migration Service (36%), child care services (21%) and staff of city and village councils (Figure 13).

Figure 13. The proportion of cases when state authorities reached out to Roma (% of respondents)

38

21

3621

19

132

1916

11Other

Department of Family, Youth and Sport

Education Department

Do not remember

Job center

Administration, staff of school

Police

Child service

City council/village council

Department of the State Migration Service

Department of Social Protection

Representatives of the community did also supported the statement about bad the poor work of state authorities aimed regarding at the implementation of the Strategy for the protection of Roma. Particular attention was paid to the insufficient measures involving direct cooperation with Roma people.There are problems with staff of social services units. There is just one such member of staff per a village. It seems so. However, they do nothing. They do not work, they drink coffee. And that is all. I have never seen them in my camp. Dreaming these social workers will come here one day? Never! The A public servant who must looks after the families, conditions, works with them – I have never seen him.



3. MAIN PROBLEMS HINDERING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE STRATEGY

The results of focus-groups have shown that when assessing the implementation of the Strategy, both the representatives of state authorities and communitiesy named outlined the same problems. The main of themones are as follows: poor awareness the among both state and community representatives of both the state and community about of the main norms of the adopted Strategy and Action Plan for its implementation of it. And Eeven though some respondents claimed they knew these documents well due to their work, many of them said they had a rather vague understanding of their content. Indeed, I have already said that we have seen this Strategy, however – only on paper. As regards the practice, we have not seen any respective changes, any measures. We have not had a chance to see it. If we saw it in practice, we would be more sure.


Thus follows a our conclusion about the lack of necessary required communication between state authorities and NGOs working in the field of protection of the rights of Roma.First of all, there are no local contacts between other Roma NGOs and between public servants. The cConnection has been lost somewhere. It is what we are working on now, we want to create this dialogue. You see, one cannot solve a problem sitting in an office, when one does not know what it is going on in the field. That is why public servants, when taken in situ, to places where Roma live, are getting amazed: how can they live like that?


If there is no support from the Roma community, representatives of NGOs, nor their active participation, our efforts will be wasted and will not give get the results that could come if we really cooperated.

Quotation from a focus-group with the representatives of state authorities

Improper funding of the measures indicated in the Strategy is another problem that results in a situation wherebyn the majority of them these measures are implementedexist only on paper.First there was an Order of the President about a concept of this Strategy. Then there was the Order of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine about the approval of the plan of actions to implement this Strategy. I would like to speak as a person, who probably is most involved with all those concepts, plans and strategies. One can laugh, but they are not implemented the way we want due to well-known reasons – very trivial reasons nowadays -. It is the lack of funding – as always.


Some problems attributed to the Roma population are shared by all of the whole Ukrainian society. It This means that comprehensive reforms and, thus, many significant temporal and financial resources, are needed.

33

In particular, participants of in focus-groups named the issues of such as the economic crisis, raising the requirements for labor experienceincreasing employment of for the population, pension reforms, observation of the rights of orphans in orphanages of to social protection, etc.Take the pension reform – it has gravely hit Roma. I would like to say that it is a problem for the wholeall of Ukraine. And there are many old Roma who are left with nothing. He Someone who is 60, but he cannot receive any pension as he has five years of labor work experience and but now he needs 15 years.


The fact that state authorities lack the necessary information about the cultural particularities of Roma results in a situation that they Roma are often perceived in a wrong wayincorrectly, and thisit leads to further stigmatization and marginalization of this social group.Teachers of school where Roma study do not have any training aimed at learning the culture and traditions of Roma. It deals not just with culture, but with tolerance, understanding why Roma choose certain modes of behavior.


As regards the differences in opinions of these two groups, the representatives of communitiesy stressed frequent instances of discrimination of against Roma by state authorities. The latter hardly spoke about that this and underlined that public officials treated everybody equally and they equally provide their services to everyone on an equal basis.At the same time, the representatives of state authorities frequently stressed that cultural particularities and the mentality of Roma were the main cause of many problems. According to them, Roma culture has negative aspects and justifies the laziness of many Roma, their unwillingness to work, their irresponsible attitude to future, etc.These are the traditions to marry early, give birth early, one should impartially assess all “pros” and “cons” considered by political leaders or social workers, each at in his or her place. These are the traditional Roma nomadism, a certain level of sanitary and hygiene requirements, a certain level of attitude to material valuables. They live as if they have just one day to live, if they have several thousand hryvnias, they buy a nice TV- set, expensive mobile phone. And tomorrow they won’t have money for basic needs, for food, for instance.


Notwithstanding these differences, it is important to note that the participants of the majority of focus-groups talk about the importance of cooperation between state authorities, bodies of local self-government and NGOs for implementation of the Strategy.It is important not to conserve the discussed problems so that they become distorted, but to solve them! We have already done a lot! To do that, we have to create a working group and regularly collect feedback between from each other.



35

III. EVALUATION OF IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ACTION PLAN OF THE STRATEGY

1. INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY OF STATE AUTHORITIES OF UKRAINE REGARDING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE

STRATEGYThe Roma issue is difficult and challenges the ethno-national policy of Ukraine in many aspects. That is why the comprehensive settlement of the issues of Roma in legal, social, economic, cultural and educational fields goes beyond the problems of the Roma community of Ukraine and has to do with the whole spectrum of inter-cultural relations in the country.The efficiency of the Action Plan of the Strategy regarding the settlement of the urgent problems of the Roma population should be considered in the context of the analysis of the institutional capacity of state authorities of Ukraine as social and political institutes that has have direct responsibility for the implementation of the Action Plan (ministries, central executive bodies, regional and district state administrations, and executive committees of city and village councils).In order for the Strategy to be effective, the strategic analysis should be an important element of strategic planning. This stage of strategic planning is becoming specialspecific as regards Roma because it is connected with numerous traditional socio-cultural specificitiesy of Roma.A sStrategic analysis of a baseline that includes the information of on the initial situation and forecastsing their changes would make the elaboration of annual plans (as stages of implementation of the Strategy) on national and local levels considerably easier. Moreover, qualitative analysis of a baseline helps determine the indicators for measurement of short-term, mid-term and long-term results of implementation of the Strategy.Such a baseline study with a perspective forecasting has not beenwas not done during the development of the Strategy, and therefore these are relevant documents, such as reports of national and international organizations, that may be used as sources of information about the condition of the Roma national minority in Ukraine.The representatives of the majority make a certain mistake as regards a national minoritiesy;, that is the substitution of a process of integration with a similar in form but different in content term “assimilation”. As a rule, the representatives of national minorities (including the Roma) are very sensitive to such an approach and resist it with a view to self-preservation.The second mistake that is typical in ethno-national policies of different states is the attitude to a national minority as to an object that should be adapted or ( assimilated) to the existing social and cultural norms of the majority as soon and as smoothly as possible. In fact, a real integration process is long and difficult. H;

however, this circumstance does not exclude preclude the an attitude towards the minority as to a subject that should bebeing a part of an equal cooperation aimed at the development and implementation of the strategy of integration.Strategic planning lies in at the core of the international experience of successful transformations in social, economic, cultural and other fields. It involves a high level of political successioncontinuity, transparency and accountability of authorities, trust of the societyconfidence of the public, and a combination of the efforts of all state and public institutions on the basis of a clear long-term vision.The implementation of changes in the areas of social life that have deep social and cultural roots is the most difficult and requires the long-term efforts of all stakeholders (national, regional state authorities, bodies of local self-government, NGOs, academic institutions and the international community).In general, the mere availability of the Strategy is a certain advance in itself because it has created a national legal framework for further systematic changes. However, as the Ukrainian experience demonstrates, there is a more difficult task – filling replacing conceptual priorities with regular, consistent and systematic actions. There is another document that looks dubiousseems controversial in this regard – namely, the Action Plan.The Plan has 56 tasks that are divided between 18 subjects of Ccentral eExecutive Aauthorities (CEAs), 25 regional administrations, academic organizations, NGOs and international organizations.

Figure 14. Participation of state and non-state institutions in fulfillment of the Action Plan for the implementation of the Strategy for the Protection and Integration of the Roma Minority in Ukrainian society, %

Centralexecutive authorities

Oblast state administrations

NGOsInternational organizations

20%

39%

37%4%

The Action Plan nominates 18 central executive authoritiesCEAs as responsible for the implementation of 43 out of 56 tasks (77%). The Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine is responsible for the biggest number of tasks among them (19 out of 56). This is logical given the importance of education of Roma. However, it is not enough sufficient due to the complicated problems and lack of necessary vertical and

37

horizontal coordination of action on the level of central executive authorities, regional state authorities and bodies of local self-government.A quite big long and socially important list of tasks is entrusted to the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine. For instance, it has to “Ensure the determination of Roma families with children that face difficult life circumstances and provide them with social services” or and “Monitor the allocation and use of state social help, inter alia, at a childbirth”.

1

4 44

89

64

16

1 13

1 1 13 3

ÌFA

Minist

ry of E

cono

my

Minist

ry of He

alth

Minist

ry of C

ulture

Minist

ry of E

duca

tion

ÌIA

Minist

ry of So

cial P

alicy

Minist

ry of J

ustic

e

Minist

ry of Re

gion

al D

ev-t

State Migratio

n Se

rvise

State St

atist

ics Se

rvice

State TV

Rad

io C

ommittee

State Em

ploy

men

t Se

rvice

State Se

rvice of S

oc D

iseas

es

State Sa

n Ep

id S

ervice

State La

nd A

genc

y

Ukr St

ate Re

gistry S

ervice

The State Migration Service of Ukraine and Ukrainian State Registry have been entrusted with a smaller quantitative, but a significant qualitative amount of obligations to ensure the efficient implementation of the Strategy:

- To carry out joint meetings of the representatives of the Ukrainian State Registry and State Migration Service of Ukraine with the representatives of Roma NGOs with a view to teaching the Roma national minority how to formalize birth certificates and passports as citizens of Ukraine;

- To facilitate the receipt of IDs and documents certifying citizenship, birth certificates and marriage certificates by the representatives of the Roma national minority that are present in Ukraine on legal grounds;

- To launch a registry of Roma who received IDs and documents certifying citizenship.

A considerable amount of tasks had been allocated to the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine (9 out of 56 tasks of the Action Plan). Such tasks appear easier to implement than the tasks of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine or State Migration Service of Ukraine. For instance:

- To facilitate the establishment and operation of centers of Roma culture in areas with compacts settlements of the Roma national minority. To ensure the participation of Roma artists in all-


Ukrainian and region al art and culture activities involving national minorities.At the same time, specific implementation of these tasks has been entrusted to local authorities, for instance:

- To facilitate the preferential provision of premises in houses and buildings that are in state or communal ownership with a view to organizing art and culture, information and awareness-raising activities by Roma NGOs and artists aimed at ensuring the rights and meeting the ethnic and national needs of the Roma national minority. Authorities responsible for that are the Council of Ministers of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, Kyiv city and Sevastopol city state administrations.

Given the allocation of tasks, it is unreasonable that the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine is responsible for coordination of the implementation of the Strategy. Taking into account the specificity and priorities of the Strategy, as well as administrative and technical capacity, it is more reasonable that at the first stage the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine be appointed responsible for the monitoring of the implementation of the Action Plan of the Strategy. Furthermore, it is reasonable to create a special central authority on national minorities, human rights and prevention of discrimination – it would correspond to best practices on the development of institutional capacity of state authorities in the majority of European countries.The implementation of a vast amount of tasks is entrusted to regional state administrations (participation in the implementation of 45 out of 56 tasks, and 20% of the tasks of the Action Plan are to be implemented only by regional state authorities themselves, without the help of the CEAs). In fact, it means that regional authorities are responsible for the all of the organizational and administrative, information and awareness-raising work and a major part of the technical work connected with the implementation of the tasks of the Action Plan. Such a conclusion is proved by the analysis of the reports about the implementation of the Action Plan of the Strategy in 2013 and 2014, prepared by the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine, in which most outputs are described as being the results of operations carried out by regional state authorities.Thus, when assessing the institutional capacity of state authorities with regard to the implementation of the Action Plan of the Strategy, it is necessary to understand the role of regionaland local authorities. After the events of 2014, the President and the Government of Ukraine announced the launch of large-scale reforms that are also aimed at changing the system of state administration and local self-government. The process of decentralization as a key part of reform of the government of Ukraine envisages the transfer of a vast amount of power to bodies of local self-government in legal, social, economic, housing and communal and other fields, which should establish a new basis for relations between the authorities and citizens.In this context, bodies of local self-government started a multi-stage expansion of a list of services provided via the Centers for Administrative Service Provision, inter alia, the migration services.Providing public services (as, for instance, in the area of secondary education and primary medical services) that are mentioned in the Action Plan of the Strategy also falls within the competence of bodies of local self-government. For instance, Uzhhorod Center for Administrative Service Provision provides 102 administrative services in legal, social and economic fields.Implementation of reforms on budgetary decentralization will give the bodies of local self-government an opportunity to plan their budget resources in a more efficient way to ensure the quality of public services; and developing a new format of cooperation between the Roma community and regional and local authorities may become an efficient driving force for implementation of the Action Plan of the Strategy.

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2. INVOLVEMENT OF NGOS IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE STRATEGY

Participation of Roma NGOs in implementation of the Strategy is an important factor for the efficient delivery of the document. However, the Action Plan provides for the participation of Roma NGOs in the implementation of just 19 out of 56 tasks of the Strategy.Figure 16. Planned participation of Roma NGOs in the implementation of the Action Plan of the Strategy

Totalnumber of tasks of tasks in this field Tasks in which Roma NGOs participate

11

46

2

14

69

4 4

12

3

Generalissues

Socialprotection andemployment

Improvement ofthe level ofeducation

Healthcare Improvement ofhousing andcommunalconditions

Meeting culturaland information

needs

At the same time, according to the Action Plan, Roma NGOs do not participate in the implementation of the following tasks:

- To facilitate the receipt of IDs and documents certifying citizenship, birth certificates and marriage certificates by the representatives of Roma national minority that are present in Ukraine on a legal basis;

- To launch a registry of Roma who received IDs and documents certifying citizenship.Social surveys, however, certify extremely low level of trust of Roma in law enforcement agencies. That is why it is acutely important to involve Roma NGOs in the implementation of paragraph 7 of the Action Plan of the Strategy, mentioned as follows:

- To ensure that law enforcement agencies and social services carry out prevention work aimed at prevention of child neglect and homelessness, involvement of children in criminal and other illegal activities, prevention of domestic violence, drug use, smoking and alcoholism in the areas of compact settlement of Roma national minority.

Roma NGOs are also excluded from participation in the implementation of the following tasks:- To use expert and technical potential of international organizations in the implementation of tasks


connected with the integration of the Roma national minority in Ukrainian society;- To conduct monitoring of the allocation and use of state social help, in particular for childbirth;- To conduct information activities about social services provided by State Employment Service in the

areas of compact settlement of Roma;- To conduct regular seminars and practical training sessions for teachers from secondary schools

who teach the Roma national minority;- To conduct work aimed at increasing the number of Roma children between the age of three and six

who attend pre-school educational establishments.

These are important tasks that must be implemented in close cooperation with Roma NGOs, inter alia, to ensure transparency and public control.The 2014 report of the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine frequently mentions NGOs as stakeholders. Building their capacity in developing a professional dialogue, responsible partnership with regional/local authorities, organization of advocacy campaigns and effective monitoring of the implementation of regional plans will further influence the implementation of the Strategy and the achievement of its aims.

3. METHODOLOGY FOR EVALUATION OF IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ACTION PLAN OF THE

STRATEGYThe following sources have been used to process data and produce unbiased results regarding the implementation of the Action Plan of the Strategy:

• content analysis and comparison of reports of the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine for 2013 and 2014;• analysis of the results of information requests regarding the results of implementation of the

Action Plan of the Strategy received by the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights (forwarded to the CEAs);

• analysis of the results of information requests of Roma NGOs submitted to regional (Volyn, Dnipropetrovsk, Odesa, Poltava, Zakarpattia and Cherkasy regions) and local (district state administrations and city councils of these six regions) authorities;

• analysis of the results of the social survey based on the poll conducted in Roma communities and focus-groups in Roma communities with the participation of state officials and staff of local self-government bodies.

The reports of the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine for 2013 and 2014 demonstrate the dynamics of the involvement of regional authorities in the implementation of the Strategy. The respective authorities mentioned in these reports as implementing agencies for certain tasks of the Action Plan were taken as the units of measure.Content analysis of the reports regarding the measures implemented by state authorities and bodies of

41

local self-government demonstrates that 80% of the results of the implementation of the Action Plan of the Strategy are the product of activities on the level of regions and cities.Figure 17. Results of content analysis of references to the participation of regional authorities in the 56 planned measures of the Strategy throughout the regions of Ukraine in 2013 and 2014

.

01

2013 2014

38

Vinn

ytsia

oblast

Volyn

oblast

11

1 2

18 20

122

50 9

13

121

14

1

20

0141

12

1

14

1

22

6

25

571

21

3

14

3

9

2

13

2

32

5

8

1

11

24

Dnipr

opetro

vsk

oblast

Don

etsk

oblas

t

Zhytom

yr o

blas

t

Zak

arpa

ttia o

blas

t

Zap

orizhz

hia

oblast

Ivan

o-Fr

ankivs

k ob

last

Kyiv o

blas

t

kiro

vogr

ad o

blas

t

Crim

ea

Luga

nsk

oblast

Lviv o

blas

t

Myk

olaiv

oblast

Ode

sa o

blas

tPo

ltava

oblas

tRi

vne

oblast

Sumy ob

last

Tern

opil ob

last

Kha

rkiv o

blas

t

Khe

rson

oblas

t

Khm

elny

tsky

i oblas

t

Che

rkas

y ob

last

Che

rnihiv o

blas

t

Che

rnivtsi o

blas

t

As one can see, the number of activities of regional authorities increased in 2014 in all regions of Ukraine in comparison with 2013. This growth was most intensive in Zakarpattia, Odesa, Cherkasy, Kirovohrad, Volyn, Dnipropetrovsk and Sumy regions. At the same time, the indicators on the effectiveness of participation remained almost the same in Ivano-Frankivsk and Ternopil regions.The 2014 report of the Ministry of Culture indicates a growth in the number of awareness-raising events: regional authorities started cooperating more actively with Roma NGOs in the social field (paragraph 13 of the Report: To conduct monitoring of the allocation and use of state social help, in particular for childbirth).According to the report, in 2014 territorial departments of the Ministry of Justice, social policy and other CEAs participated in the implementation of respective measures of the Strategy regarding the enhancement of awareness-raising work, prevention of prejudiced attitudes towards Roma, increasing consultancy work on social issues, preventive visits, etc.An important indicator is the analysis of the effectiveness of the participation of the and bodies of local self-government on the region and city levels in the activities related to the Action Plan of the Strategy. The following formula was used for calculating the index of effectiveness according to the fields of the Action Plans of the Strategy in 2013 and 2014 (shown in %, where the maximum effectiveness of participation is 100%):

Ir=((Nr*Qa)/(Nr*Qa-max))*100, where:Ir – the intensity (effectiveness) of participation of regional and local state authorities in the implementation


of the Action Plan of the Strategy (shown in % from a maximum amount) in a particular sector;Nr – total number of administrative regions of Ukraine (regions + Autonomous Republic of Crimea) that is 25;Qa – actual number of measures that involved representatives of regional state authorities during a given period in a particular sector. Figure “0” means that a regional/local authority did not take part in the implementation of this field of the Action Plan of the Strategy, figure “1” means that an authority took part in it;Qa-max – maximum possible indicator of the activity that regions may implement in a particular sector.Figure 18. The intensity (effectiveness) of participation of CEAs and regional authorities in different fields of the Action Plan of the Strategy

2013 2014

Generalissues

Socialprotection andemployment

Improvementof the level of

education

Healthcare Improvementof housing and

communalconditions

Meetingcultura andinformation

needs

1925 23

2724

32

15

31

12

48 11

16

24

Total

As is seen from the figure, the intensity of participation of local self-government bodies in the implementation has increased by about 10%. Thus, in comparison with 2013, the implementation of the Action Plan of the Strategy has increased both in geographical and sectoral terms. Thanks to the Strategy and Action Plan, the practice of annual separate reporting on Roma issues as a necessary element of local planning has started in central and local authorities. However, even though the analysis of reports of CEAs indicates an increase in activities for implementation of tasks according to the fields of the Action Plan of the Strategy, the actuallevel stands at about 24%.The content of reports is more of a description of a process rather than an analysis of the achieved results of the Action Plan. In particular, the report indicates the number of various activities conducted at city, district and region levels in the forms of meetings, working meetings, etc. However, the report is unclear as to how the described activities changed the situation in the field of prevention of discrimination of Roma, or enhanced access to education, healthcare, social services and legal aid.

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4. ASSESSMENT OF REGIONAL ACTION PLANS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF NGOS

One can fully assess the efficiency of the implementation of the Action Plan of the Strategy on the basis of summarized results of information requests submitted to CEAs about the results of the Action Plan of the Strategy, summarized results of the information requests of Roma NGOs submitted to region (Volyn, Dnipropetrovsk, Odesa, Poltava, Zakarpattia and Cherkasy Regions) and local (district state administrations and city councils of six regions) state authorities, and the results of the social survey. When comparing results of the implementation of measures in six regions (according to the 2014 report of the Ministry of Culture) with results of information requests and assessments of non-governmental experts in these very regions, it is possible to say to what extent the information from the reports of CEAs and region authorities corresponds to the assessments of communities. The 2014 report of the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine mentioned the activities organized within regional programs which allows for comparisons to be made.

Figure 19. The number of records about implemented measures in six regions pursuant to the fields of the Action Plan

General issues (11 tasks, including legal issues)

Social protection and employment (6 tasks)

Improvement of the level of education (14 tasks)

Improvement of housing and communal conditions (4 tasks)

Healthcare (9 tasks)

Satisfaction cultural and information needs (12 tasks)

7

1 02 2 2

0

71 2

2

21

4 4

14

8

5

0

7

446

1 0

7

4

4

6 1

1

6 6 7 64

Volyn oblast Dnipropetrovskoblast

Zakarpattiiaoblast

Odesa oblast Poltavaoblast

Cherkasyoblast

Sources: annual report of the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine for 2014

As one can see from the figure, the intensity of implemented measures is equally fragmented according to regions and fields. regional programs in six regions are identical, and they were developed without taking into account the particularities and specificities of Roma living conditions. The figure shows quantitative information about the implemented tasks in six regions according to the report of the government.


ASSESSMENT OF THE ACTIVITIES IN REGIONS:Volyn region was highly active (7 out of 11) in awareness-raising components (this also includes legal issues). At the same time, it has extremely low indicators regarding increasing the level of education and other fields. There is no information at all about the implemented measures in the field of healthcare in Volyn Region. Dnipropetrovsk region was very active as regards healthcare; however, it was extremely ineffective in all other fields. Zakarpattia region was most active (14 out of 14) in the field of education. It has also a rather high level in the field of social protection (4 out of 6). However, the participation in resolving legal issues is rather low, and participation in cultural and information measures is unsatisfactory. Odesa region has a high level of awareness-raising work that also includes legal work. However, its activity is rather low in the social and education fields. Poltava region was very active in the field of education, but it was less involved in other fields. Cherkasy region was more balanced in all fields. At the same time, it paid particular attention to the implementation of tasks in the social field. All regions lack attention to improving the housing and utility conditions of Roma. The resolution of this problem requires considerable financial support and development of long-lasting infrastructure projects. The comparison of activities in the legal, social and education fields is provided in Figure 20.

Figure 20. The level of activity in six regions in the main fields, according to the reports of the government

Legal issues Socia protection and employment

63,6

36,4

Education

36,4

63,6

45,554,5

16,7

33,3

66,7

33,3

100

14,3

33,3

14,3

100

64,350

28,6

Volyn oblast

Dnipropetrovsk oblast

Zakarpattiia oblastOdesa oblast

Poltava oblast

Cherkasy oblast

As one can see from the figures, apart from certain fields in particular regions, implementation of the Action Plan of the Strategy as a whole in the legal, social and education fields remains rather low. Evaluation (made by experts from NGOs) of the efficiency of participation of regional authorities (RAs) in the implementation of every task of the Action Plan of the Strategy were summed up according to a sectoral approach. In this case, the evaluation was grouped into four sectors: general (awareness-raising, legal, social and education issues). This resulted in a figure on the efficiency of participation of RAs in the implementation of each task of the Action Plan of the Strategy. According to this evaluation, no region can be evaluated by experts as

45

being better than “satisfactory”.

Figure 21. Efficiency of the RA in the implementation of the Action Plan of the Strategy

General issues (ìàx 16) Legal issues (ìàx 8)

Social issues (ìàx 16) Education issues (ìàx 48)

Cherkasy oblast

Average result

Poltava oblast

Odesa oblast

Zakarpattiia oblast

Dnipropetrovsk oblast

Volyn oblast

6 4 125

11 4 98

6 5 226

6 5 186

6 4 126

1 201

4 2 83

Thus, the assessment by NGO experts corresponds to the results of the content analysis of the reports of the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine, inter alia:

• the number of implemented measures of the Strategy has grown by almost 30% in comparison with 2013, but, as before, efficiency is still low in comparison with the maximum indicator of these measures (about 24%);

• regional programs repeat the drawbacks of the National Action Plan of the Strategy. They are aimed at the process rather than at the measurable result;

• The Roma community is regarded as an object of policy and not as a subject that has equal rights in its development and implementation.

The tables below provide a summary evaluation and recommendations of NGOs that help to understand the problems regarding the implementation of regional programs in these six regions in ensuring legal protection, social protection and access to education. The following scale (as taken from a list of scores used by experts of NGOs) was used to calculate an average score: bad/not implemented – 0; unsatisfactory – 1; satisfactory – 2; good – 3; excellent – 4.Implementation of every section of the Plan in all six regions according to the system described above can be seen below. This evaluation was conducted by experts of Roma NGOs who also submitted recommendations on the amendments to a respective section of the Action Plan.


4.1. Legal protection“To conduct awareness raising work aimed at prevention of prejudiced attitude to persons of Roma national minority”

(Quote from the Action Plan of the Strategy)

Name of the Regional State Administration (RSA) Score

Volyn RSA 1

Dnipropetrovsk RSA 1

Zakarpattia RSA 1

Odesa RSA 3

Poltava RSA 2

Cherkasy RSA 2

RECOMMENDATIONS OF NGOs ON AMENDMENTS TO THE ACTION PLAN:• All measures should be planned and focused on a result that can be evaluated by specific indicators

rather than on a process that is not measurable.• Every measure should generate a practical result that is a ground for the next measure and, thus,

leads to achieving a set aim.• Work should be done at all schools because pupils communicate with representatives of different

ethnicities not only in the settlements where they live.• Systematic work of the respective departments of culture should be organized so that it involves

awareness-raising components.• Cooperation and coordination should be established between the Departments of Culture, Education,

Family and Youth and Roma communities.• Education (training, seminars) should be organized for journalist; these should be aimed at the

elimination of derogatory language in mass media.• A target group should be determined – journalists, students, teachers and law enforcement agencies.• It is necessary to raise the issue of informing people via mass media about legislation concerning

national minorities; representatives of the departments of the Ministry of Internal Affairs should be involved at region level (in particular, as regards local police inspectors) in prevention activities aimed at awareness-raising for the prevention of prejudiced attitudes towards the Roma national minority.

• Talks with members of councils, city mayors, heads of DSAs should be conducted to ensure that local budgets allocate money for a legal consultant on social issues who would work in a legal department of a city executive committee (together with other lawyers) and whose activities would be aimed at consulting members of the Roma national minority.

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‘To organize information and education activities for persons from Roma national minority with a view to enhancing their awareness of human rights”



Volyn RSA 1


Zakarpattia RSA 2

Odesa RSA 4

Poltava RSA 2

Cherkasy RSA 2

RECOMMENDATIONS OF NGOs ON AMENDMENTS TO THE ACTION PLAN:• It is necessary to launch information and patronage services on the receipt of IDs.• Systematic work on raising legal awareness of Roma should be established. The number of respective

measures should be increased. Thematic information materials should be prepared, printed and circulated.

• Representatives of the Roma national minority should be stakeholders in awareness-raising campaign.• Booklets and brochures for Roma explaining human rights and obligations in the following fields are

needed and should be prepared: family law, employment, receipt of passport, pensions; the number of respective activities should be increased.

“To ensure that law enforcement agencies and social service units conduct preventive work aimed at prevention of child neglect and homelessness, involvement of children in criminal and other illegal activities, prevention of domestic violence, drug use, smoking and alcoholism in the areas of compact settlement of Roma national minority”



Volyn RSA 1


Zakarpattia RSA 2

Odesa RSA 1

Poltava RSA 3

Cherkasy RSA 2


RECOMMENDATIONS OF NGOs ON THE AMENDMENTS TO THE ACTION PLAN:• Prevention should be carried out taking into account the particularities of national traditions.• Develop specific action plans in areas with compact settlements of the Roma national minority. Such

events should be distinguished from the general events planned by the relevant authorities.• Establish partner relations with formal/informal initiative groups in areas with compact settlements

of Roma.• Exclude law enforcement agencies from the list of institutions that may conduct these prevention

activities. They should primarily be conducted by social workers and psychologists.• Open centersf for psychological and social help in areas with compact Roma settlements.• Facilitate the involvement of expert and technical potential of international organizations for the

integration of Roma in Ukrainian society.

4.2. Social protection and employment“To facilitate the use of expert and technical potential of international organizations for integration of Roma national minority in the Ukrainian society”



Volyn RSA 0


Zakarpattia RSA 2

Odesa RSA 1

Poltava RSA 0

Cherkasy RSA 3

RECOMMENDATIONS OF NGOs ON THE AMENDMENTS TO THE ACTION PLAN:• Develop a systematic and targeted system for the provision of technical aid. . Organize seminars and

trainings and exchange of experience for the representatives of Roma NGOs and representatives of education departments.

• The results should be targeted at the implementation of the Strategy, teaching Roma families and further work with Roma community, state authorities and bodies of local self-government.

“To facilitate further cooperation between state executive authorities and Roma NGOs on the life conditions of Roma national minority”


49


Volyn RSA 0


Zakarpattia RSA 2

Odesa RSA 2

Poltava RSA 2

Cherkasy RSA 3

RECOMMENDATIONS OF NGOs ON THE AMENDMENTS TO THE ACTION PLAN:• Develop a plan for joint meetings between Roma NGOs and state authorities.• Identify problems and challenges for cooperation between state executive authorities and Roma

NGOs. It is necessary to thoroughly study problems, determine their causes and identify ways in which they can be resolved.

• Establish cooperation at the level of departments and sections of Regional State Administration RSAthat is currently just being discussed. Practical implementation is very poor, particularly at thelocal level.

• Regularly hold meetings of state authoritiesand representatives of the Regional State Administrationdepartments with the representatives of Roma NGOs with a view to encouraging their work with Roma.

“To involve Roma NGOs to the civic assessment of efficiency of implementation of the Strategy”



Volyn RSA 0


Zakarpattia RSA 1

Odesa RSA 2

Poltava RSA 2

Cherkasy RSA 3

RECOMMENDATIONS OF NGOs ON THE AMENDMENTS TO THE ACTION PLAN:• Determine clear criteria and indicators for each event/chapter.• Formalize in writing a procedure of public regular reporting about the implementation of the Strategy

and Action Plan.


• Organize focus-groups (meetings) with the representatives of a department of socio-political issues and regional policy, healthcare of RSA, and departments of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine in Regions, district state administration, and city executive committees.

“Determine Roma families with children that face difficult life circumstances and provide them with social services”



Volyn RSA 0


Zakarpattia RSA 2

Odesa RSA 2

Poltava RSA 2

Cherkasy RSA 2

RECOMMENDATIONS OF NGOs ON THE AMENDMENTS TO THE ACTION PLAN:• Organize annual monitoring of the financial status, of Roma families bearing in mind the possible

negative social effects of poor living conditionss: • Develop a special action plan to identify Roma families with children that face difficult life

circumstances and provide them with social services; produce clear efficiency indicators for that plan.

• Ensure implementation of the plan by the relevant departments and sections of state authorities; establish a procedure for documenting the representatives of Roma population.

• Provide food, financial help and temporary accommodation for Roma families that find themselves in difficult life circumstances.

• Establish cooperation with NGOs dealing with Roma rights and involve experts in meetingsand consultations.

• Conduct awareness-raisingcampaigns and consultations for Roma families about the availability of social services and how to access them.

“To monitor allocation and use of state social help, in particular at childbirth”


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Volyn RSA 2


Zakarpattia RSA 2

Odesa RSA 3

Poltava RSA 2

Cherkasy RSA 2

RECOMMENDATIONS OF NGOs ON THE AMENDMENTS TO THE ACTION PLAN:• Develop a special action plan for monitoring the allocation and use of state social help. Such

monitoring should be conducted in cooperation with employment centers with a view to finding a job for every person capable of work.

• Organize social patronage, carry out training for families and provide social support to them.• Conduct awareness-raisingactivities and consultations with Roma families regarding the availability

of social help at childbirth and how to access it.

“To encourage involvement of charitable foundations, NGOs and religious organizations in the provision of social help to Roma national minority”



Volyn RSA 1


Zakarpattia RSA 1

Odesa RSA 0

Poltava RSA 2

Cherkasy RSA 2

RECOMMENDATIONS OF NGOS ON THE AMENDMENTS TO THE ACTION PLAN:• Establish cooperation with NGOs with a view to settling social problems based on a welfare

community model: community that consists of self-sufficient and protected citizens, resulting in positive development and growth within that community.

• Develop a system for the provision of social helpand connect it firmly with the tasks of the Strategy. This should be decided on a legislative level.

• Establish cooperation with the leaders of charitable organizations, NGOs and religious organizations that may provide help to members of the Roma national minority.


“To organize events promoting social services provided by Regional employment centers in areas of compact settlement of Roma national minority”


Name of the Region State Administration (RSA) Score

Volyn RSA 0


Zakarpattia RSA 1

Odesa RSA 0

Poltava RSA 0

Cherkasy RSA 0

RECOMMENDATIONS OF NGOs REGARDING THE AMENDMENTS TO THE ACTION PLAN:

• Organize annual employment fairs for Roma youth through state employment centers, involving the community in these events.

• Organize awareness-raising events and consultations with Roma families about the availability of employment centers and services they provide. Such employment centers should inform NGOs about vacancies and organize consultations and seminars on searching for a job, employment, starting a business, etc.

4.3. Education “To raise awareness on the importance of education for Roma, especially for children and youth, by teaching staff of secondary schools, representatives of education departments of state administration and bodies of local self-government”



Volyn RSA 0


Zakarpattia RSA 2

Odesa RSA 1

Poltava RSA 2

Cherkasy RSA 2

53

RECOMMENDATIONS OF NGOs ON THE AMENDMENTS TO THE ACTION PLAN:• Develop a clear plan for consultations on Roma issues.• Implementa principle of positive motivation, because punitive measures are ineffective.• Introduce local education scholarships for Roma.• Establish cooperation with NGOs that work with Roma rights and invite experts for meetings,

consultations and awareness-raising events on the importance of education, particularly for children and youth.

• Organize and conduct focus-groups for the representatives of education departments, departments dealing with minors, migration departments, young Roma families in areas with compact settlements of the Roma national minority and where trainings will be carried out.

“To organize permanent workshops for teaching staff of secondary schools where Roma study”



Volyn RSA 1


Zakarpattia RSA 2

Odesa RSA 3

Poltava RSA 2

Cherkasy RSA 3

RECOMMENDATIONS OF NGOs ON THE AMENDMENTS TO THE ACTION PLAN:• Implementation of this aim should be based on knowledge of psychology, ethnic culture, and actual

circumstances of each particular child (family, relatives), i.e., on the determination of internal factors and not on the search for external means of influence. All external means should be used only for preventive purposes.

• Teaching methodology should take into account the particularities of Roma culture and traditions.• Involve Roma leaders in explanatory workshops for educational staff.• Organize and conduct focus-groups with training for the representatives of education departments,

departments dealing with minors, migration departments,and young Roma families in areas with compact Roma settlements.

“To consider the issue on developing and publishing textbooks for secondary education institutions where Roma study”




Volyn RSA 0


Zakarpattia RSA 1

Odesa RSA 0

Poltava RSA 3

Cherkasy RSA 0

RECOMMENDATIONS OF NGOs REGARDING THE AMENDMENTS TO THE ACTION PLAN:

• Address the fact that the number of experts on teaching Roma children is insufficient and that there is no such subject as Roma Studies in existing curricula.

“To consider the issue of providing Roma pupils with free transport circulating to and from areas of compact settlement of Roma national minority that are located more than three kilometers away from a nearest secondary school in rural areas”



Volyn RSA 0


Zakarpattia RSA 1

Odesa RSA 0

Poltava RSA 3

Cherkasy RSA 0

RECOMMENDATIONS OF NGOs ON THE AMENDMENTS TO THE ACTION PLAN:• Provide Roma pupils with free transportation to and from their place of residence.

“To control attendance of secondary schools by Roma pupils and take measures aimed at parents and guardians with a view to ensure systematic attendance of classes by their children”


55


Volyn RSA 2


Zakarpattia RSA 0

Odesa RSA 3

Poltava RSA 2

Cherkasy RSA 0

RECOMMENDATIONS OF NGOs ON THE AMENDMENTS TO THE ACTION PLAN:• Develop a clear action planto increase the number of Roma children attending pre-school institutions.• Set up a sufficient number of kindergartens in areas with compact settlements of Roma.• Provide Roma children who attend pre-school institutions with free meals.• Provide information via communication channelsthat are trusted by the target audience.• Register and provide documents to Roma children.• Establish cooperation with NGOs that deal with Roma rights and invite experts to conduct meetingsand

consultations with Roma parents.

“To keep record of Roma children of school-age with a view to involving them to studying as much as possible”



Volyn RSA 2


Zakarpattia RSA 1

Odesa RSA 3

Poltava RSA 2

Cherkasy RSA 0

RECOMMENDATIONS OF NGOs ON THE AMENDMENTS TO THE ACTION PLAN:• Establish special commissions tocarry out patronage workwhich include civil activists from the

relevantterritorial community, social and teaching staff; • Create a record-keeping system for school-aged Roma children;, social workers should monitor

schoolyards from time to time;create conditions for documenting the Roma population and involve social service units in keeping records on school-aged Roma children.


• Introduce state scholarships for Roma children studying in secondary schools and universities; Roma children should be involved in education system on general terms, i.e. they should not be singled out from children of other nationalities.

“Control should be exercised over the attendance of secondary schools by Roma children and measures should be taken with respect to parents or guardians to ensure that their children attend classes on a systematic basis”



Volyn RSA 2


Zakarpattia RSA 0

Odesa RSA 3

Poltava RSA 2

Cherkasy RSA 0

RECOMMENDATIONS OF NGOs ON THE AMENDMENTS TO THE ACTION PLAN:• Establish special commissions to carry out patronage workwhich include civil activists from the

relevant territorial community, social and teaching staff. A separate system of control over the school attendance by Roma children should be created together with Roma parents and Roma NGOs; an action planfor schools should be approved with participation of NGOs and parents; facilitate cooperation of Roma NGOs with teaching staff, education departments, child service units, parents.

“To conduct work aiming to increase the number of Roma pupils that graduate from secondary schools”



Volyn RSA 0


Zakarpattia RSA 0

Odesa RSA 0

Poltava RSA 2

Cherkasy RSA 0

RECOMMENDATIONS OF NGOs ON THE AMENDMENTS TO THE ACTION PLAN:• Persons that have secondary education at a satisfactory level and may continue their studiesand/or

57

general and professional development should be considered as Roma with higher education; to reduce the tendency of alienation of Roma from their people due to a fact that they have higher education.

• Develop a specific action plan to organize events aimed at increasing the number of Roma pupils that graduate from secondary schools.

• Involve NGOs in the identification of both pupils and their parents that study or graduate from secondary schools.

“To facilitate involvement of Roma pupils to extracurricular, extra-school work, participation in thematic contests, sport competitions, hobby groups, etc.”



Volyn RSA 2


Zakarpattia RSA 3

Odesa RSA 2

Poltava RSA 2

Cherkasy RSA 2

RECOMMENDATIONS OF NGOs ON THE AMENDMENTS TO THE ACTION PLAN:

• Prepare a clear list of measures aimed at the involvement of Roma children in extracurricular activities.

• Develop positive stimuli for the development of talents, for example: targeted scholarships for talented children.

• Actively involve Roma childrenin music programs and artistic collectives at schools.• Conduct talks with Roma pupils about the importance and necessity of extracurricular activities,

participation in contests, sport competitions, hobby groups, etc.

“To ensure the improvement of profile of labor classes at secondary schools where Roma pupils study taking into account traditions of Roma crafts”




Volyn RSA 0


Zakarpattia RSA 0

Odesa RSA 2

Poltava RSA 1

Cherkasy RSA 0

RECOMMENDATIONS OF NGOs ON THE AMENDMENTS TO THE ACTION PLAN:• Curricula are approved at a level of the Ministry of Education and Science; therefore it is necessary

to expand the powers of regional education departments regarding the adoption of flexible programs that take into account the needs of Roma pupils.

• Take into account the traditions and customs of Roma during labor classes.• School headmasters and education department should facilitate the creation of Sunday classes for

cultural and creative lessons on traditional Roma crafts.

“To ensure that school psychologists provide psychological help to Roma pupils with the view to their successful adaptation to education process”



Volyn RSA 0


Zakarpattia RSA 0

Odesa RSA 2

Poltava RSA 2

Cherkasy RSA 0

RECOMMENDATIONS OF NGOs ON THE AMENDMENTS TO THE ACTION PLAN:• Improve professional development of teachersby providing them with knowledge and practical skills

in the field of psychology;establish psychological service units to provide consultations to teachers and for the consideration of difficult cases at the city and district levels.

• Develop a calendar plan to have a psychologist working with Roma pupils and their parents.• Technical and financial help should be provided for ensuring qualified psychological help to Roma

pupils with a view to their successful adaptation to the education process.

59

“To study the need to train teachers of Roma language”(Quote from the Action Plan of the Strategy)


Volyn RSA 0


Zakarpattia RSA 0

Odesa RSA 1

Poltava RSA 2

Cherkasy RSA 0

RECOMMENDATIONS OF NGOS ON THE AMENDMENTS TO THE ACTION PLAN:• This task should be resolved promptly through the widening of powers of city/district councils; support

at the level of a nationalministry is needed to ensure the creation of a government order (public order) for Universities specializing in pedagogy.

• Address the fact that currently there are almost no Roma students who become teachersand that this issue is not currently being studied or resolved at all.

“To ensure professional development and training of teacher staff of secondary schools at which Roma pupils study”



Volyn RSA 0


Zakarpattia RSA 0

Odesa RSA 2

Poltava RSA 2

Cherkasy RSA 0

RECOMMENDATIONS OF NGOS ON THE AMENDMENTS TO THE ACTION PLAN:• Conduct training on Roma-related issues. A mechanism of professional development and internshipsfor

the teaching staff of secondary schools at which Roma pupils study should be envisaged.

“To organize professional fairs aimed at encouraging persons from Roma national minority to receive vocational technical training and higher education”




Volyn RSA 0


Zakarpattia RSA 2

Odesa RSA 0

Poltava RSA 2

Cherkasy RSA 2

RECOMMENDATIONS OF NGOS ON THE AMENDMENTS TO THE ACTION PLAN:• Focus on positive resultsand adjust all actions according to the expected result.• Develop specific action plans aimed at professional orientation (job coaching) of Roma youth.• Implement a set of measures ranging from the creation of work places to the professional development

of employees.• Organize vocational technical training for Roma;encourage them to receive vocational technical

training and higher education.

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IV. GENERAL CONCLUSIONS

• According to the 2001census there are about 47,500 Roma in Ukraine. However, NGOs and human rights activists have found that the number of Roma in Ukraine is at least 5 times larger than official statistics say: estimates range from 250,000 to 400,000 people. The lack of adequate statistical data on the Roma population in Ukraine and the fact that official statistics greatly underestimate the number of Roma prevents properevaluation of the scope of the problems facing the Roma population and the planning of adequate actions and financial support to resolve them.

• Observation of Roma rights presents a complicated challenge to the ethno-national policy of Ukraine. A comprehensive solution to the problems of segregation, discrimination, and the violation of the legal, social, economic, cultural and educational rights of Roma is a mandatory obligation of Ukraine to its nationals. These problems cannot be settled by the Roma community of Ukraine alone because they reflect the whole spectrum of intercultural and inter-ethnic relations in the country. They are the consequence of a lasting policy of assimilation of Roma and of ignoring the problems of national minorities.

• Discriminatory practices of state authorities and from the Ukrainian people as a whole towards the Roma, the low level of education of most Roma, high levels of unemployment, bad housing and communal conditions and the fact that many citizens do not have IDs prevent the integration of the Roma population and result in its marginalization.

• Notwithstanding that the content of the Strategy has a general and declarative character, the adoption of the Strategy proves that the government of Ukraine recognizes both the problem and the necessity of lasting influence of state and civil institutions to the settlement problems faced by the Roma national minority.

• The Action Plan has several disadvantages which impede the possibility of ensuring a systematic approach to measuring the quantitative and qualitative results of the implementation of the planned activities. In particular: no baseline study was carried out at the development stage of the Action Plan; its content lacked specific measuring indicators; its goals should be urgent, realistic and achievable within a determined period with a view to evaluating the results of activities; there is no description of the sequence of stages, priorities and connection of the tasks of the Action Plan; state institutions responsible for implementation of the tasks were not clearly identified.

• The budget of Ukraine does not provide targeted financial support for the implementation of the Action Plan. Funding at the local level is made the responsibility of local deficit-ridden budgets.

• The Strategy and Action Plan were developed without taking into account the recommendations prepared and submitted by a coalition of Roma NGOs in Ukraine. The majority of provisions are aimed at the process rather than at the result. There are no clear measurable indicators for assessingthe efficiency of the program. The vast majority of regional action plans and strategies simply copy the national measures and do not take into account local specificity and problems.

• There is no coordination of actions at the level of central state authorities. There is no clear division of powers, vertical and horizontal cooperation of state authorities at the regional and local


levels, and there are no tools for effective monitoring of implementation. All these are systematic problemsimpeding the effective implementation of the Strategy.

• The state lacks efficient mechanismor platform for dialogue with community representatives. Representatives of Roma NGOs and local councils are poorly involved in the decision-making process of the local self-government bodies and state authorities. The Roma community has poor knowledgeregarding the operating principles of state authorities and the procedures for accessing social services. Roma are not adequately represented in the bodies of local self-government and in the decision-making processes at all levels of government.

• The main task for the future implementation of the Strategy lies in the encouragement and involvement of regional/local bodies and communities. Long-lasting positive results from the implementation of the Strategy depend on the possibility of establishing a synergy of consistent and systematic activities by state and civil institutions at the regional/local levels, their professional understanding of the specificity of the Roma way of life and their ability to implement practical tasks for overcoming social isolation.

• It is important to take into account the proposals of Roma NGOs on involving them as partners in the implementation of the Action Plan of the Strategy, with the possibility of conducting regular civic control over the implementation of measures, allocation and use of funds from the budget.

• Long-lasting positive results of the Strategy should be determined on the basis of synergy of consistent and systematic activities of state and civil institutions at the regional/local levels, their professional understanding of the specificity of the Roma way of life and their ability to implement practical tasks for social inclusion of Roma and overcoming discrimination,prejudice, xenophobia, marginalization and segregation. To resolve the problem of social isolation of Roma, it is necessary to ensure that the special competencies and efforts of authorities are engaged at all levels in close cooperation with the leaders of Roma NGOs.

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V. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR STATE AUTHORITIES

1. BUILDING CAPACITY OF STATE AUTHORITIESTO THE CABINET OF MINISTERS OF UKRAINE:

• Designate the Ministry of Social Politics of Ukraine as responsible for monitoring the implementation of the Action Plan of the Strategy and provide it with related powers;

• Immediately conduct a general population census of Ukraine, in order tocalculate the financial support required for socio-economic needs of the Roma community. This is an important task for the Ukrainian government, given the drastic difference between official and actual statistical data on the size of Roma national minority;

• Develop a joint program to take into account the interests of the Roma national minority in the decentralization and reform process of public administration and local self-government systems with a view to ensuring proper implementation of regional action plans and the provision of qualitative public services to the Roma community;

• Develop and conduct awareness-raising events to involve Roma in public policy by nominating candidates for members of councils from local parties, in particular in areas of compact settlements of Roma, and train them for such work; increase Roma awareness of their voting rights, and involve the experts of academic and research institutions, Roma NGOs, and leading think-tanks in these activities;

• Include a representative of a Roma NGO on the civic council of every authority. Develop amendments to the Strategy and Action Plan through participation in the work of a civic council, public hearings, and public expert assessments;

• Develop an analytical report on the baseline situation of the Roma community in Ukraine for the future implementation of the Strategy. Conduct a number of round tables with the participation of CEAs and local authorities for the adoption of the data from the report as a baseline for future evaluation of the implementation of the Action Plan of the Strategy. A system of efficient criteria and indicators based on the analytical report should be developed in order to determine predictable changes and the possibility for effective evaluation of the results of the Action Plan.

2. ENSURING LEGAL PROTECTIONTO THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF UKRAINE:

• Study international experience on the development and implementation of national programs for Roma in Europe within the Decade of Roma Inclusion 2005-2015, and the EU Framework for


National Roma Integration Strategies by 2020, with a view to improving the National Strategy and Action Plan. Circulate the findings among state officials, regional administrative staff , local self-government bodies and Roma NGOs;

• Facilitate the exchange of experience between civil servants working on the development and implementation of state programs for the Roma national community and foreign experts in the evaluation of such programs.

TO THE STATE MIGRATION SERVICE OF UKRAINE• Facilitate the receipt of IDs and personal documents by Roma; • Ensure the implementation of current legislation regarding the receipt of IDs by persons residing on

the territory of Ukraine;• Develop and introduce a simplified systemfor the receipt of IDs by citizens of Ukraine;• Introduce a position of Inspector of work with Roma communities in region and district state

administrations in areas with compact settlements of Roma.

TO THE MINISTRY OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS OF UKRAINE:• Take effective measures with a view to preventing crimes committed on the grounds of intolerance

and violent instances of discrimination towards Roma in Ukrainian society;• Enhance cooperation between the staff of law enforcement agencies and Roma NGOs; introduce

mechanisms for professional development aimed at gaining in-depth understanding and respect for human rights;

• Cooperate with law enforcement agencies of other states with a view to using international best practice for the prevention of crimes based on the grounds of intolerance towards Roma Roma;

• Introduce a position of a representative of the Ministry of Internal Affairs responsible for communications with Roma communities in areas with compact Roma settlements.

TO THE UKRAINIAN PARLIAMENT COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS:• Together with NGOs, develop an annual monitoring planon the observation of the rights of Roma

and prevention of discrimination on the basis of ethnicity across all regions of Ukraine;• Carry out annual monitoring of respect forthe rights of Roma.

TO THE MINISTRY OF JUSTICE OF UKRAINE: • Develop a legal framework regulating ethnic policy according to Ukraine’s obligations before the

Council of Europe, OSCE and the EU regarding Roma rights.• Develop and implement a program of training/re-training professional lawyers who will provide

legal advice and barrister services to illiterate persons or those whose level of knowledge is very limited;

65

• Facilitate the receipt of free legal aid by Roma;• Develop legal grounds for the realization of the right of Roma to self-organization and to setting up

self-government bodies as a pilot form of cooperation between state authorities and bodies of local self-government, with a view to addressing the objectives of the Strategy and achieving its aims.

3. ACCESS TO EDUCATIONTO THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION OF UKRAINE:

• Ensure coordination of teachers of educational institutions, Roma NGOs and school mediators with a view to involving Roma in studies, and take measures to reduce the number of Roma pupils who do not graduate from secondary school;

• Encourage Roma youth toaccess vocational technical training and higher education by means of government-funded scholarships;

• Ensure training on multi-cultural education and tolerance for all teaching staff conduct annual assessments of the efficiency of Roma education measures

• Ensure access to pre-school education, secondary education, and extracurricular education to all Roma children in all relevant institutions irrespective of their forms of ownership, by means of funds from the state budget, local budgets and international and charitable organizations;

• Introduce courses to eliminate adult illiteracy at secondary schools, in cooperation with Roma NGOs and employing Roma teaching staff;

• Establish a special scholarship fund for Roma of Ukraine to address the day-to-day financial needs of university students, particularly those from large families in rural areas;

• Develop and introduce curricula in Roma language, literature and history at all levels school. Introduce Roma Studies programs in universities.

4. ACCESS TO SOCIAL SERVICES AND EMPLOYMENTTO THE MINISTRY OF SOCIAL POLITICS OF UKRAINE:

• To recognize Roma who survived the Second World War on any territories occupied by Germany or other Axis countries as victims of Nazi persecution.Extend legislation guaranteeing compensation to victims of Nazi persecution and their heirs to include them;

• Take action to prevent employment discrimination against Roma; • Ensure non-discriminatory attitudes to Roma who are entitled to social benefits, prevent instances of

groundless or unlawful refusal to grant social benefits or unlawful termination of payments;• Conduct awareness-raising campaigns on the provisions and rules for applying to social protection

authorities;• Introduce the position of social worker who will work with Roma (social and health mediator) in


areas with compact settlements of Roma and encourage Roma to take up these positions, provided professional training is given;

• Develop regulations for the responsibilities of the Inspector working with Roma communities, whose primaryduty should be to and address violations of the social, cultural, housing, educational, labor and political rights of Roma.

TO REGIONAL STATE ADMINISTRATION AND BODIES OF LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT:• Develop and implement a program to involve Roma in the decision-making process of state

authorities and bodies of local self-government in their region; • Facilitate the involvement of Roma NGOs in the development and monitoring of decisions by

state authorities that directly or indirectly concern their collective or individual rights, obligations, interests and responsibilities;

• Facilitate the involvement of Roma in politics by proposing candidates for membership of councils at all levels, particularly in areas with compacts settlements of Roma; provide Roma people with opportunities to take up internships in state authorities and bodies of local self-government;

• Establish a volunteer position of adviser to the head of the local administration on Roma issues in the regions of Ukraine with the highest number of Roma people (Zakarpattia, Odesa) (this should be a representative of local communities). Set up Roma civic council in areas with compact settlements of Roma. Such councils should be headed by the adviser, pursuant to the proposal of Roma NGOs.

• Introduce the position of adviser on Roma issues in the local self governments of cities and villages,subject to the proposals of Roma NGOs;

• Summarizeall successful cooperative practices between local state authorities and local Roma NGOs in a compendium of best practices and make this information available on the websites of state and non-state institutions;

• Amend region/city action plans on the protection of rights and integration of the Roma national minority in Ukrainian society. Ensure that these plans include provisions on the implementation of principles of positive discrimination through specific and effective measures.

67

ANNEXES

LIST OF MATERIAL ON ELECTRONIC DEVICES (CD):

1. The Strategy for the Protection and Integration of the Roma Minority in Ukrainian Society until 2020.

2. The Action Plan for the Implementation of the Strategy for the Protection and Integration of the Roma Minority in Ukrainian Society until 2020.

3. Public monitoring report “Implementation of state policy towards Roma”.

Documents

IMPLEMENTATION OF STATE POLICY TOWARDS ROMA